CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadcasting: Alcoholic Drinks

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the effects on informed consent to participation in a television broadcast by a subject of the provision of alcohol by the broadcaster.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with Ofcom on this matter.

Government Art Collection

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many works in the Government art collection are currently on display; and how many such works are on display in London.

Edward Vaizey: As of 7 June, there are 9,039 works on display, of which 3,472 are on display in London.

Olympic Games 2012

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to encourage the engagement of young people in the north-east in the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: It is important that children and young people from across the UK are actively encouraged to participate in the wide range of opportunities created by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	Over 17,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for LOCOG's education programme Get Set, 790 of those are in the north-east—61.1% of the total number in the region. Through the Inspire Programme, over 1,200 cultural and sporting programmes across the UK have been awarded Inspire Marks, including 50 in the north-east. Projects such as ‘Kite Mark’ and ‘Northern Design Competition’ will assist in engaging young people with London 2012.
	The north-east has secured £1.53 million from the Legacy Trust for the region's ‘Generation 2012’ project. This initiative provides opportunities for regional cultural organisations and young people to work together to develop up to 10 high quality, aspirational 2012 projects in the region, bringing people together for community activities of all kinds.
	In November I launched the ‘Places People Play’ programme, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring all to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further detail can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7565.aspx
	In addition, we are introducing the School Games, a new school sport competition which will provide more opportunities for pupils in schools across the UK to compete in sport through a vibrant programme of regular intra- and inter-school competitions.

Tourism

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many local tourism centres sponsored by his Department are in operation;
	(2)  how many local tourism centres sponsored by his Department are expected to close in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not directly sponsor local tourism centres. Over the next four years, we are though allocating nearly £33 million to VisitEngland to help support existing and new local destination management organisations in developing the visitor economy in their own areas.

UK Film Council

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse has been of the abolition of the UK Film Council.

Jeremy Hunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 753W.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  on what date special advisers in his Department last used the Government car pool to travel in an official capacity; and on how many occasions a special adviser in his Department has travelled to their home address using the Government car pool since May 2010;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on special advisers' travel by (a) Government car, (b) private hire car, (c) train, (d) bus, (e) commercial aircraft and (f) private aircraft since May 2010.

Norman Baker: Special advisers are not entitled to use of a car from the Government car pool and no cars from the pool have been used by special advisers to travel on official business or to travel to their home addresses.
	The Department has not incurred any expenditure in relation to use by special advisers of buses, commercial or private aircraft, or Government cars since May 2010.
	Civil servants and special advisers can use a taxi when this is justified and in accordance with departmental rules and the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code. The Department has a call-off account with the Government Car and Despatch Agency for a low-carbon taxi-style service known as the Green car service. On one occasion since May 2010 a special adviser has used a Green car, at a cost of £36. This was in accordance with departmental rules for civil servants' use of taxis in relation to late night working.
	The Department has spent £568 on train tickets for special advisers over the past year.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2011, Official Report, column 1300W, on motor vehicles: registration, if he will bring forward proposals to compensate the owners of limousines currently on the road who were granted new vehicle registration documents without the evidence required to meet the single vehicle approval test.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Transport will not bring forward any proposals to compensate owners of limousines.
	In carrying out its statutory functions and dealing with applications for registration, the Driver and Vehicle licensing Agency (DVLA) does not owe a duty of care to third party purchasers who may subsequently rely on vehicle registration certificates when entering into a commercial transaction.

Navigation: General Lighthouse Authority

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work he is undertaking with the General Lighthouse Authority to (a) continue maintenance of LORAN-C radionavigation and (b) to develop a full eLORAN radionavigation system.

Michael Penning: The provision of general marine aids to navigation around our coasts is the statutory responsibility of the three General Lighthouse Authorities. The General Lighthouse Authorities consider the need, usage and number of aids to navigation, including LORAN-C and its associated infrastructure.
	The General Lighthouse Authorities’ Research and Radionavigation Directorate is undertaking the development of the eLORAN system in the UK.

Railways

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has carried out research into the productivity of business passengers while travelling by rail.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 13 May 2011
	The Department for Transport commissioned a consortium led by Mott MacDonald to undertake a study of rail business travellers in order to obtain direct evidence on the productive use of travel time during the course of work. The final report “Productive Use of Rail Travel Time and the Valuation of Travel Time Savings for Rail Business Travellers” was received by the Department in June 2009.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to amend the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation target for the obligation period beginning on 15 April 2012; and what steps he has taken to increase the level of sustainability of biofuels for use in vehicles.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is currently consulting on amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, to implement the renewable energy and fuel quality directives.
	We do not propose to make any changes to the current obligation levels that are set out in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007 as amended. However, we propose a legal obligation on the Secretary of State for Transport to keep the level under review and to consider what additional measures will be required to ensure that the UK delivers the requirements of the renewable energy and fuel quality directives in the period 2014 to 2020. This will enable us to establish a stable biofuel policy that will allow industry to robustly plan for the period 2014 to 2020.
	The consultation proposes to introduce mandatory sustainability criteria. These include that biofuels, with some exceptions, must deliver greenhouse gas savings of at least 35% when compared to fossil fuels and that biofuels must not be sourced from areas of high biodiversity, or from high carbon soils (e.g. rainforests or wetlands). All biofuels will have to meet these mandatory sustainability criteria in order to be counted towards meeting the targets in the renewable energy and fuel quality directives, and therefore receive rewards under an amended Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation scheme.

Rescue Services: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date he expects to make an announcement on the future of coastguard stations in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: We expect to make an announcement about the modernisation of Her Majesty’s Coastguard before the House rises for summer recess on 19 July.

Roads: Regulation

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons no organisation representing cyclists was included among the experts championing the Red Tape Challenge on Road Transport; and if he will nominate such an expert as soon as possible.

Michael Penning: There are relatively few regulations governing the use of cycling—only five out of over 400 in the whole of this section of the red tape challenge.
	However, we are still interested to hear what cyclists have to say about those five—and we have recently met with representatives of British Cycling, CTC and the Bicycle Association of Great Britain to discuss the red tape challenge. We are working with everyone across the whole road transport sector, as we want to ensure as many people as possible get involved.

WALES

Freedom of Information

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 her office has received since her appointment; and what the time taken to provide a full response to the request was in each case.

David Jones: Since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales appointment, the Wales Office has received 171 Freedom of Information Act requests. The Act requires a full response within 20 working days or within an agreed extension to undertake a public interest test. For the 2010-11 year, my Department replied to 94% of requests within this deadline, compared with 91% for 2009-10.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Theft

Keith Vaz: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many cases of theft from the parliamentary estate have resulted in a prosecution in each year since 2006.

John Thurso: The following table gives the number of individual prosecutions for theft from the parliamentary estate:
	
		
			  Number of individuals prosecuted for theft 
			 2006 1 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 3 
			 2009 1 
			 2010 0 
			 2011 0

Theft

Keith Vaz: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what steps the House of Commons Service plans to take to combat recent cases of theft from the parliamentary estate.

John Thurso: We do not comment on the detailed security measures in place across the parliamentary estate. I would encourage the right hon. Member to speak to the Serjeant at Arms directly.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many contracts the Government Equalities Office holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office does not hold any contracts with Crown Relocations.

Members: Correspondence

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member from Erith and Thamesmead of 15 March 2011 on her constituent the Reverend Geoff Clark.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 8 June 2011
	A response to the hon. Member's letter on her constituent, the Reverend Geoff Clark, was made on 2 June 2011.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare: EU Action

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has received legal advice on instances where a single EU member state has taken unilateral action on animal welfare matters which has led subsequently to a change of EU policy in line with that action; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: There is no central record kept of such legal advices, nor is there any recollection of any occasion where, since coming into office, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has from within DEFRA received legal advice of instances where individual EU member states have taken unilateral action on animal welfare matters which has subsequently led to a change of EU policy in line with that unilateral action.

Apples

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to encourage the stocking of English apples by supermarkets.

James Paice: Retailers and apple grower trade associations are working together to meet growing consumer demand for English apples. All fruit and vegetables are required by law to have their country origin on the item, shelf or the package. In many grocery stores, British apples can be recognised by the Union Flag on the packaging or the liner for boxes of loose apples. The Fruit and Vegetable Taskforce on increasing consumption and production brought together the whole supply chain to identify and unblock barriers; they reported in summer 2010 and agreed an action plan in October 2010. The action plan was divided into production, supply chain and consumption: Most recommendations, which are fairly technical, have made significant progress and we are looking to produce an updated progress report later in the year.

Circuses: Animal Welfare

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date her Department removed from its website the impact assessment undertaken in respect of regulation of wild animals acts in travelling circuses.

James Paice: As a matter of routine documents are only held on the consultation section of the DEFRA website for a year after they are first published, so the Impact Assessment in question was removed shortly after the end of December 2010.

Departmental CCTV

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many CCTV cameras are installed in and around her Department's premises; and how much such cameras cost to (a) install and (b) operate in the latest period for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: We currently have 663 cameras situated at 56 DEFRA locations, but this figure is continually reducing as we have embarked upon an estate rationalisation project.
	The cost of carrying out planned maintenance on the cameras alone is currently in the order of £70,000 per annum excluding reactive repairs which fluctuate in value.
	The costs of installations are difficult to separately identify as they are normally part of wider project costs.

Departmental Data Protection

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts her Department holds which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; to which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each such contract are held; and how many people have their data stored overseas under each such contract.

Richard Benyon: The Department has one contract which permits personal data to be stored overseas on a case by case assessed basis and with written approval. The contract includes a facility for personnel in the core Department as well as some Executive Agencies and NDPBs to subscribe to online training, with packages covering everything from IT skills to professional development. 889 personnel have subscribed to the service and the data are stored in the United States of America. The purpose of storing the data is so that individuals can access their online training records, the nature of which means that the record of the training undertaken needs to be saved.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many subscription or membership fees for (a) the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and (b) other professional organisations were paid from budgets of her Department and its agencies in respect of their staff in each of the last three years.

Richard Benyon: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has made no payments directly to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in the last three years.
	The Department is, however, unable to identify from central records how many subscription or membership fees have been paid to professional organisations. Most subscriptions and memberships are paid direct by staff from their own resources and claimed, authorised and paid through the staff expenses system. To identify the number would incur additional analysis of all expense transactions and this would incur disproportionate cost.
	Executive agencies
	Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS)
	The numbers of subscription and membership fees paid is as follows:
	
		
			 Number of subscriptions/memberships 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Chartered Institute of Public Relations 0 0 0 
			 Other professional organisations(1) 30 35 52 
			 (1) These include membership of scientific bodies 
		
	
	Rural Payments Agency
	The number of subscription and membership fees paid is as follows:
	2009-10: 45
	2010-11: 119.
	RPA is unable to provide costs for 2008-09 or a breakdown as the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	RPA has made no payments to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in the last three years.
	Animal Health
	The number of subscription and membership fees paid is as follows:
	Chartered Institute of Public Relations:
	2008-09: 0
	2009-10: 5
	2010-11: 2.
	Chartered Institute of Personnel Development:
	2008-09:6
	2009-10:5
	2010-11: 15.
	Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons:
	The subscriptions for this body are in two parts. Part 1 is the individual membership and is paid on behalf of our veterinary staff. Part 2 is the payment in respect of each of our premises which dispense veterinary medicines.
	2009-10:
	Individual subscriptions for 328 veterinary staff.
	Premises Subscriptions for 48 premises.
	2010-11:
	Individual subscriptions for 321 veterinary staff.
	Premises subscriptions for 48 premises.
	2011-12
	Individual subscriptions for 302 veterinary staff.
	Premises subscriptions for 48 premises.
	Association of Personnel Assistants
	2010-11: 1.
	Note
	This is the first year that this subscription was paid.
	Association of Chief Executives
	2009-10: 1
	2010-11: 1.
	Note
	These are the only two years this subscription has been paid.
	Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
	The number of subscription and membership fees paid is as follows:
	(a) No amounts have been paid to Chartered Institute of Public Relations
	(b) Subscription and membership fees paid to other professional organisations, is as follows:
	2008-09: 204
	2009-10: 362
	2010-11: 235.
	Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
	The number of subscription and membership fees paid is as follows:
	(a) No amounts have been paid to Chartered Institute of Public Relations
	(b) Subscriptions to other professional organisations:
	2010-11: 40
	2009-10: 41
	2008-09: 35.
	Food and Environment Research Agency
	The number of subscription and membership fees paid is as follows:
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 (a) the Chartered Institute of Public Relations 0 0 0 
			 (b) Other professional organisations 162 135 106

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department plans to cease to fund any of its functions over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is not planning to cease funding of any broad DEFRA functions. However, DEFRA has taken the opportunity presented by the spending review to consider those things that only it can and must do, and how we can deliver those. Where we have been carrying out activities that we have decided should no longer be done by DEFRA, we are ceasing funding for such work. DEFRA is prioritising its resources in order to achieve the priorities in the Department's Business Plan. As part of the arm’s length bodies review we are planning a reduction in the number of bodies from over 90 to less than 40.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the annual amount of consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions produced by the UK.

James Paice: holding answer 7 June 2011
	In 2008 DEFRA published an evidence study that measured the UK's carbon dioxide emissions using a consumption-based approach, titled “Embedded carbon emissions indicator—EV02033”. We are now carrying out further work to update these findings. The Centre for Sustainability Accounting has recently estimated that in 2008 greenhouse gas emissions relating to UK consumption totalled 1,076 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent.

Origin Marking: Israel

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the guidelines on place of origin labelling issued by her Department on 10 December 2009 do not apply to all products on sale in the UK that originate from Israeli settlements.

James Paice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 548W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new asylum cases initiated in each year are awaiting resolution.

Damian Green: The following table shows the number of pending asylum applications (made since 1 April 2006) as at 31 March 2011, by year of application. These data include cases with no decision to date and those with an outstanding appeal. They do not include figures relating to cases that are appeal rights exhausted or are awaiting judicial review.
	
		
			 Pending applications received for asylum since April 2006 in the United Kingdom as at 31 March 2011  (1, 2, 3)  , by year of application  (5) 
			  Total pending 
			 Year of application Total (including dependants) Of whom: Principal applicants 
			 2006(4) 315 265 
			 2007 915 725 
			 2008 1,830 1,410 
			 2009 2,370 1,860 
			 2010 4,405 3,305 
			 2011 4,615 3,630 
			 Total 14,450 11,190 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (‘—’ = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) For the figures which include dependants further disaggregations by age, gender and nationality will be available on the EUROSTAT website: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics/search_database (3) Numbers pending either initial decision or further judicial appeal, but excluding those who have lodged a judicial review (4) Applications received for asylum since 1 April 2006. (5) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	Further information on asylum is available from the Control of Immigration publications which are available in the Library of the House and the Home Office Science website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics
	In addition, from this summer information on our new asylum performance framework will be published on a regular basis—with key statistics disaggregated by gender—so that the House and any member of the public can scrutinise what we are achieving and hold us to account. It is my intention that these data will include all unconcluded cases. These will include those that are appeal rights exhausted and those whose discretionary leave has expired—in addition to those awaiting a decision or appeal outcome as identified above.

Asylum: Housing

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to ensure that housing provided by the National Asylum Support Service meets the needs of tenants.

Damian Green: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 23-24W.

Electronic Surveillance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what supervision and control processes her Department is putting in place to regulate the use of Geotime and other software used for covert monitoring of the movements of individual citizens.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 19 May 2011
	Geotime and other similar software provide an analytical tool for the visual representation of data that has already been acquired lawfully for specific purposes from other sources. Anyone using such software to analyse data is bound by the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 and other relevant legislation.

Entry Clearances

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on (a) the (i) cost to the visitor and (ii) efficiency of the UK's tourist visa-processing operations and (b) the effect of such operations on the visitor economy.

Damian Green: UK Border Agency officials meet regularly with representatives of the tourist industry to listen to their views on the visa service offered to tourists from overseas, and to consider how the service may be further improved.
	The Government recognise the UK's position as a top global tourist destination and the importance of the visitor route to the UK economy. A total of 1.2 million tourist visas were issued last year, up 14 % from 2009. We provide a good visa service to visitors from overseas and our fees and processing times are competitive compared with those offered by other countries. Our customer service standards for visa processing times are published on our website
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas
	as are details of the performance of each of our visa application centres overseas. We aim to process 90% of tourist visas within three weeks and meet this target in the vast majority of cases Nevertheless, we continue to look at ways of improving the service further while maintaining the security of our border.

Extradition

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many UK nationals were extradited to the US in (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006, (d) 2007, (e) 2008 and (f) 2009;
	(2)  how many cases of extradition of US nationals to the UK took place in (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006, (d) 2007, (e) 2008 and (f) 2009.

Damian Green: Nationality records have not been historically recorded in extradition cases between the UK and the United States. This is because neither country can refuse extradition requests from the other on the basis of the subject's nationality.
	The following table shows the number of UK nationals extradited to United States from the UK (England and Wales) over the period 2004-2009.
	Information regarding the nationality of those extradited to the UK from the United States has not in the past been routinely recorded. Records have been kept since 2007. In that time there are no records of US nationals having been extradited to the UK from the United States in 2007 and 2009. One US national was extradited in 2008. This does not include cases where nationality was disputed or unclear.
	
		
			 Number of UK nationals extradited to United States from the UK  (1)   over the period 2004-09 
			  Number 
			 2004 2 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 (2)10 
			 2007 0 
			 2008 2 
			 2009 (3)4 
			 (1) For the purposes of the question, we have taken the “UK” as meaning England and Wales. Scotland deals with its own US cases—as did Northern Ireland until 1 April 2008. (2) Includes one US/UK dual national. (3) Includes one UK/Iran dual national.

Harassment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many potential offences under section (a) 2, (b) 3, (c) 4 and (d) 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 were recorded in 2009-10;
	(2)  how many complaints received by police forces of potential offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 during (a) 2009 and (b) 2010 were not proceeded with by police forces or prosecutors.

Lynne Featherstone: Offences recorded under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 are classified under the Home Office offence classification of ‘Harassment’. There were 53,029 offences of harassment recorded in 2009-10. It is not possible to identify centrally how many offences were recorded under each section of the Act.
	Information on the number of complaints that were not proceeded with is not available centrally.

Visas: Appeals

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration she has given to removing the right of appeal for people who have been refused visas to enter the UK for up to six months; and what assessment she has made of the effect of implementation of such a measure on the number of people who will reapply.

Damian Green: The refusal of a visa to enter the UK for up to six months attracts a full right of appeal only where the applicant is applying to visit a family member. In all other categories of temporary entry clearance the right of appeal is limited to human rights and race relations grounds. Bringing the right of appeal for persons seeking to visit family members into line with all other temporary visit visas is clearly an important area where we would want to seek wide views and on which we would wish to consult formally.
	It is open to someone who has been refused a visa to visit a family member to apply again and provide further information in support of their application that addresses the reasons why their initial application was refused, which are set out in a comprehensive written refusal. Entry clearance staff work to a service standard of concluding 90% of visit visa applications within 15 days (performance was 95% in 2010-11), so the outcome of a second application will be known much sooner than the outcome of an appeal. We have not carried out an assessment of whether all those who currently appeal would reapply, were the appeal right in this category removed.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Employment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of armed forces veterans left the armed forces and found employment in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: All service personnel are entitled to some form of resettlement support either at unit level or through the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), with lifetime job finding support through either the Officers' Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association. Based on a survey of service leavers, who were entitled to resettlement provision through the CTP, the following table shows those who found employment within six months of being discharged.
	
		
			  Employed within six months of discharge (percentage) 
			 2000 95 
			 2001 95 
			 2002 95 
			 2003 96 
			 2004 96 
			 2005 94 
			 2006 95 
			 2007 96 
			 2008 93 
			 2009 93 
		
	
	A limited amount of employment information exists for those service leavers who were not entitled to resettlement provision through the CTP. Since 1 April 2006 , we estimate that some 77% of service leavers in this group gained employment within six months of leaving.

Armed Forces: Employment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of time was for armed forces veterans to find post-service employment in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: Information on the length of time to find employment is not held prior to 1 April 2005. The following table shows the average length of time to find post-service employment in each year since then, based on a selected sample.
	
		
			  Number of days to gain employment 
			 2005-06 37 
			 2006-07 42 
			 2007-08 33 
			 2008-09 32 
			 2009-10 55

Armed Forces: Employment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what sectors armed forces veterans found post-service employment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: In 2010, service leavers found post-service employment within 44 industry sectors across the public, private and voluntary/community sets. These industry sectors are diverse and range from accountancy and finance through to sports and leisure.

British Sovereign Base

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Lord Ashcroft will be given an official level of security clearance as senior independent adviser to the study of British sovereign base areas in Cyprus.

Liam Fox: The noble Lord, Lord Ashcroft has been given the appropriate security clearance.

EU Defence Policy

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the European Defence Agency's interim report on the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy.

Gerald Howarth: The Government broadly welcome the interim report on “Common Security and Defence Policy/military elements” issued by High Representative Baroness Ashton as a contribution to the debate, in particular its focus on improving EU/NATO relations and more effective capability development by European partners. However, we have expressed our reservations on the report's proposals for discussions on increasing the scope for common funding of battlegroups as we have consistently made clear our opposition to such common funding. Discussions on these topics will continue with EU partners as part of the ongoing policy debate.

Military Alliances

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the pooling and sharing of military assets.

Gerald Howarth: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), has regular discussions with his European counterparts on pooling and sharing. We believe that it is important that the UK seeks and exploits all opportunities to promote greater burden sharing and increased co-operation, in order to optimise capability development in Europe,
	More specifically, I attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers' formation on 24 May 2011, which included pooling and sharing as a topic for discussion. The UK took the opportunity at the discussions to re-emphasize the point that national commitments to any pooling and sharing initiatives must be voluntary, consistent with the fact that each member of the Council is a sovereign nation state.

Regulation

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the name is of each body responsible for regulation of operations at his Department's site at Coulport; and what plans each has for regulation of the site.

Peter Luff: There are a number of internal and external bodies responsible for regulation of operations at Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) Coulport. The external bodies are the Health and Safety Executive, including their nuclear arm, the Office of Nuclear Regulation; the Scottish Environment Protection Agency; and local authorities. These bodies are responsible for developing their own plans for the regulation of the site, but we work in close co-operation with them.
	Internal Ministry of Defence (MOD) regulators include the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator, the Defence Ordnance Safety Group, the Fuel and Gas Safety Regulator, and the Defence Fire and Risk Management Organisation. The MOD plans to maintain continuity of regulation during the transition to, and following the implementation of, the new arrangements at RNAD Coulport.

Departmental Research

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) longitudinal and (b) other (i) research and (ii) collection of data his Department has (A) initiated, (B) terminated and (C) amended in the last 12 months; and what such research and data collection exercises undertaken by the Department have not been amended in that period.

Peter Luff: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Terrorism: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 1 September 2004, Official Report, columns 715-6W, on the Ministry of Defence, what the locations are of the two high value detainees; whether the classification of the two detainees as high value was a UK or US classification; and whether the two detainees were part of the US High Value Terrorist Detainee Program.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 9 May 2011
	The two individuals referred to were both very senior Iraqi members of Saddam Hussein's regime. I can confirm that the UK would classify them both as high value detainees. One of them is currently serving 15 years in prison in Baghdad, having been convicted of several different offences. The other was executed by the Iraqi authorities in early 2010 for crimes against humanity. Whether the detainees were part of a US program is a matter for the US to comment on.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Attendance Allowance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the merits of introducing a mobility component of attendance allowance to ensure that a person with mobility needs is eligible for the same level of financial support at the age of 65 as they are at 64.

Maria Miller: We have no plans to amend the entitlement conditions for attendance allowance to introduce a mobility component. It is normal for pensions and benefit schemes to contain different provisions for people at different stages of their lives. Disability living allowance, which has a mobility component, is intended to focus additional help with the extra cost of disability on people who have the very considerable disadvantage of being severely disabled earlier in life and who as a consequence have less opportunity to work, earn and save compared to non-disabled people.
	If a person claims disability living allowance, including the mobility component, before their 65(th) birthday, it can remain in payment beyond age 65 as long as the conditions of entitlement remain satisfied.
	Attendance allowance provides help with the disability-related extra costs of people who experience the onset of disability after age 65. Based on the need for personal care, this help is part of the wide range of support that the Government make available to older people so that they can have a decent and secure income in retirement.

Disability Living Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on disability benefits.

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues and other stakeholders to discuss a range of issues, including disability benefits.

Future Jobs Fund: Kirklees

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Kirklees have been placed in employment through the Future Jobs Fund.

Chris Grayling: The most recent Young Person's Guarantee statistics were published on 13 April 2011. Statistics are available on the Future Jobs Fund which covers the period from October 2009 to the end of January 2011.
	There have been a total of 690 FJF funded temporary placements within the Kirklees local authority area between October 2009 and January 2011
	A breakdown of this information can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of people in the Kirklees local authority that have started FJF funded employment since October 2009 
			  Starts 
			 October 2009 * 
			 November 2009 20 
			 December 2009 20 
			 January 2010 20 
			 February 2010 30 
			 March 2010 60 
			 April 2010 20 
			 May 2010 40 
			 June 2010 40 
			 July 2010 60 
			 August 2010 60 
			 September 2010 80 
			 October 2010 50 
			 November 2010' 80 
			 December 2010 40 
			 January 2011 90 
			 Total 690 
			 Notes: 1. Data Source—DWP LMS opportunities evaluation database April 2011. 2. Due to Data Protection protocols, values less than 10 are suppressed and marked with a ‘*’ to avoid unnecessary disclosure. Additionally, any figures above 10 are rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding, totals may not be the sum of the individual cells. Months are calendar months. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Jobseekers, Disability and Work Programme Division

Income Support: Young People

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people aged between 16 and 18 years were in receipt of income support in each category in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is given as follows.
	
		
			 Income support 16 to 18-year-old claimants by statistical group in Great Britain, each quarter February 2010 to November 2010 
			  All 16 to 18-year-olds receiving IS Incapacity benefits Lone parent Carer Others receiving IS 
			 February 2010 40,730 650 15,660 770 23,650 
			 May 2010 40,060 400 15,690 740 23,220 
			 August 2010 39,060 200 15,060 730 23,060 
			 November 2010 39,170 140 15,120 780 23,130 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data have been compiled using the claimant's Income Support Statistical Group, this is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. 3. Lone parents are defined as claimants on income support with child under 16 and no partner. Lone parent obligations were introduced from 24 November 2008 affecting the age of the youngest child. 4. Incapacity benefits are defined as those receiving incapacity benefit or disability living allowance. 5. Carers are defined as those receiving carer's allowance. Source: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study data.

Managing Agents

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions his Department has reclaimed money from Atos as a result of unsatisfactory medical advice in each month since May 2010; how much has been reclaimed in each such month; and what proportion of the monetary value of its contract with Atos the total sum reclaimed represents.

Chris Grayling: Since May 2010 the Department has not needed to claim any money back from Atos Healthcare as they have met all of their targets for medical advice.

Managing Agents

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the criteria to determine whether responses to freedom of information requests prejudice the interest of Atos Healthcare and the Department's future dealings with Atos Healthcare or other service providers.

Chris Grayling: The policy of my Department is to fully comply with our obligations under the Freedom of Information Act. We look to ensure that information shared is properly assessed for privacy, confidentiality (including that of service providers), commercial and public interest and consider each on a “case by case” basis. Where information is requested that is prejudicial to this criteria the Department will consider exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act.

Members: Correspondence

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Minister for Employment plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale of 22 June 2010 and 8 March 2011 on behalf of his constituent Mr Mark Tansley.

Chris Grayling: Due to an administrative error no reply was sent to my hon. Friend in response to his letter of 22 June 2010 and I apologise for that oversight. However, I understand that a Jobcentre Plus official replied on the same matter direct to my hon. Friend’s constituent in response to a separate, related e-mail.
	A reply to the letter of 8 March 2011 was sent to my hon. Friend on 13 April 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire dated 13 July 210, reference JS8612.

Steve Webb: Regrettably, due to an administrative error a reply was not sent to the hon. Member until 9 June 2011 and I apologise for that oversight.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West of 17 February 2011 on support for mortgage interest.

Chris Grayling: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 1 March 2011.

Mortgages: Barnsley

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Barnsley East constituency received support for mortgage interest payments in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: Claimants receiving help with mortgage interest in Barnsley East parliamentary constituency are as follows:
	
		
			  Total claimants receiving mortgage interest 
			 November 2006 500 
			 August 2007 500 
			 November 2008 (1)400 
			 November 2009 (1)400 
			 November 2010 (1)300 
			 (1) Numbers are based on very few sample cases and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation, therefore these figures should be used as a guide only. Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures are based on 5% sample data. All figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. 4. ‘—’ denotes nil or negligible. 5. Caseload figures have been uprated by using 5% proportions against 100% WPLS data. 6. Figures provided are a point in time estimate at November in each year 2006 and 2008 to 2010. No figures are available for November 2007, therefore we have provided figures as at August 2007. 7. Figures shown above are for Barnsley East for the period November 2010. Prior to this period the parliamentary constituency was named Barnsley East and Mexborough. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5% samples. Work & Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100% data.

Pension Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will prepare and publish an impact assessment in respect of the proposals in the Welfare Reform Bill affecting the qualifying age and entitlement to pension credit;
	(2)  if he will estimate the saving which would accrue to the Exchequer if entitlement to pension credit were removed from an individual who reached qualifying age and was a member of a couple the other member of which had not attained the qualifying age;
	(3)  if he will estimate the average change in income to (a) the individual and (b) the couple who would no longer be entitled to pension credit if entitlement to pension credit were removed from an individual who reached qualifying age and was a member of a couple the other member of which had not attained the qualifying age;
	(4)  how many (a) men and (b) women would no longer be entitled to pension credit if entitlement to pension credit were removed from individuals who reached qualifying age but were members of a couple the other member of which had not attained the qualifying age in each year between 2013 and 2020.

Steve Webb: In the Welfare Reform Bill we are taking powers to restrict access to pension credit for couples where one member of the couple is below the qualifying age for pension credit.
	We are still considering a range of policy issues relating to couples in this situation. We will publish further information once the policy has been finalised.
	We recognise that it is important not to undermine the stability and outcomes for existing pension credit customers, so there will be no change for couples already in receipt of pension credit at the point of change.
	There are currently around 100,000 claims to pension credit from couples where one member is below the qualifying age for pension credit, 90,000 of these claimants are male and 10,000 are female.

Pensioner Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners lived in poverty in each year between 1981 and 2004.

Steve Webb: Estimates of pensioner poverty are published in the Households Below Average Incomes series. The most commonly used measure of pensioner poverty relates to those people with income below 60% of contemporary median household income, after housing costs. This is often referred to as relative poverty.
	The latest year of data which are available is 2009-10. The following table shows the number and percentage of pensioners with income below 60% of contemporary median household income, after housing costs from 1981 to 2004.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number and proportion of pensioners falling below 60% of contemporary median household income, after housing costs (AHC) 
			 Publication Period Number (million) Percentage 
			 FES(UK) 1981 1.9 20 
			  1987 2.9 29 
			  1988 and 1989 3.9 39 
			  1990 and 1991 3.7 36 
			  1991 and 1992 3.4 33 
			  1992 and 1993 3.1 31 
			  1993-94 to 1994-95 3.0 29 
			 FRS (GB) 1994-95 2.8 28 
			  1995-96 2.8 28 
			  1996-97 2.9 29 
			  1997-98 2.9 29 
			 FRS (UK) 1998-99 2.9 29 
			  1999-2000 2.8 28 
			  2000-01 2.7 26 
			  2001-02 2.7 26 
			  2002-03 2.5 24 
			  2003-04 2.2 21 
			  2004-05 1.9 18 
			 Notes:  1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and Family Expenditure Survey (FES).  2. FRS figures are for Great Britain up to 1997-98, and for the United Kingdom from 1998-99, with estimates for Northern Ireland imputed for the years 1998-99 through 2001-02. The reference period for FRS figures is single financial years.  3. FES figures are for the United Kingdom. These are single calendar years for 1981, and 1987; two combined calendar years from 1988 to 1993 and two financial years combined from 1993-94 to 1994-95.  4. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.  5. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication “Households Below Average Income” (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or “equivalised”) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  6. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors.  7. Proportions of pensioners in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest whole percentage point and numbers of pensioners have been rounded to the nearest 100,000.  8. These statistics are publicly available in the Households Below Average Income Report on the DWP website: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai  Source:  Households Below Average Income, DWP.

In-work Poverty

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce levels of in-work poverty.

Chris Grayling: Universal credit will reduce the number of individuals in poverty. On reasonable assumptions, the combined impact of take-up and entitlements might lift around 950,000 individuals out of poverty, including 350,000 children and more than 600,000 working-age adults, the vast majority of these people are likely to be in working households.

Child Poverty

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what resources his Department expects to allocate to the implementation of measures set out his Department's report in A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and Transforming Families' Lives in each of the next three years.

Maria Miller: The first national child poverty strategy fulfils the Government's obligations under the Child Poverty Act 2010 and sets out our plans for tackling child poverty from 2011-14. The strategy also provides a comprehensive framework for ending child poverty in the longer term and clearly demonstrates how Government Departments must work together to address and overcome the key drivers of poverty.
	The publication of the strategy was set against the backdrop of a huge deficit that this Government inherited and a challenging spending review that placed a high priority on improving the life chances of children and protection of vulnerable families while also making crucial progress in reducing the nation's fiscal debt.
	The Government's new strategic direction will dismantle the powerful barriers that keep most disadvantaged families stuck in cycles of poverty. Failure to do so will condemn some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our society to repeatedly finding themselves on one or more of the established pathways to poverty.
	We are resolute in our determination to tackle these key drivers of poverty and as such the Government have:
	Set aside £2 billion of Department for Work and Pensions spending review settlement over the next four years to fund the implementation of the universal credit.
	Established the Work programme, which will offer people seeking employment targeted, personalised help, delivered by contractors drawn from across the private, public and voluntary sectors, as well as social enterprises. Work programme contractors are paid for results, so the cost of the programme will depend on performance, but is expected to be between £3 billion and £5 billion.
	Introduced a number of initiatives specifically targeted at the most vulnerable children and families in our society:
	the Fairness Premium worth £7.2 billion over the spending review period.
	the Pupil Premium worth £2.5 billion a year to 2014-15.
	the Early Intervention Grant worth £2,222 million in 2011-12 and £2,037 million in 2012-13.
	the 16-19 Bursary Fund which guarantees the most vulnerable 16 to 19-year-olds bursaries of £1,200 a year.
	DWP will support further investment in innovative action from local partners which have the scope to improve children's and families' outcomes. We will look to expand existing initiatives which challenge public service commissioners and providers to seek value for money and deliver local solutions to local problems.

Shared Housing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of units of shared accommodation available (a) nationally and (b) in each local authority area;
	(2)  with reference to Table 4 of his Department's impact assessment on Increasing the shared accommodation rate age threshold to 35, what estimate he has made of the number of additional units of shared accommodation available in Brighton and Hove.

Steve Webb: No national or local estimate has been made of the availability of shared accommodation.
	In Table 4 of the impact assessment it is estimated that 840 claimants would have their entitlement reduced to the shared accommodation rate, but not all of these will necessarily seek to move into shared accommodation. Some will seek to move to shared accommodation but others may move in with their family or partner, or find work in order to afford self-contained accommodation.
	No estimate has been made of the availability of additional shared accommodation following the increase in the age threshold, which will depend on the responses of claimants and landlords to the extension of the shared accommodation rate to the 25 to 34 age group.

Shared Housing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the costs to the discretionary housing payments budget of supporting individuals aged 25 to 34 years affected by the extension of the shared accommodation rate who are judged unable to live in shared accommodation.

Steve Webb: Claimants who receive the severe disability premium will continue to be exempt from the shared accommodation rate, as will those who have an overnight carer, so it remains the case that people with the most severe disabilities will not be expected to move into shared accommodation, and that the costs of their accommodation will be met without recourse to the discretionary housing payments budget.
	Beyond the existing exemptions, the Department does not set criteria by which claimants are considered to be unable to move into shared accommodation.
	Local authorities are responsible for deciding, based on any supporting information provided by the claimant, whether a claimant's particular circumstances warrant further financial assistance through a discretionary housing payment. No estimate has been made of the cost to the discretionary housing payment budget.

Shared Housing: Blackpool

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the (a) demand for and (b) supply of shared accommodation in Blackpool in its planning for the introduction of the new shared accommodation rate of housing benefit for single people under 35 years old.

Steve Webb: Based on analysis of the local housing allowance case load in March 2010, it is estimated that 720 claimants in Blackpool would have their local housing allowance reduced to the shared accommodation rate.
	No assessment has been made of the impact on demand for shared accommodation, which will depend on how claimants respond to their lower rate of housing benefit. Some will seek to move to shared accommodation but others may move in with their family or partner, or find work in order to afford self-contained accommodation.
	No assessment has been made of the supply of shared accommodation in Blackpool. This will depend on the responses of claimants and landlords to the reduced local housing allowance entitlement.
	Source:
	Equality impact assessment of the increase to the shared accommodation rate age threshold, available on the DWP website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-hb-shared-accommodation-age-threshold.pdf

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to encourage high street chemists to promote awareness of the eligibility of those on disability benefits to buy medical products at zero rate value added tax.

Maria Miller: Those receiving DLA are eligible for a wide range of additional benefits, which are detailed in an information leaflet issued to all those receiving an award notice for DLA. The leaflet includes links to the Directgov website where advice on medical products at zero rate VAT can be found.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate (a) the total number of families (i) working 16 or more and (ii) fewer than 16 hours per week which would be better off or worse off and (b) the average amount by which they would be better off or worse off, should child care support through the universal credit be provided at (1) 70 per cent. of child care costs up to £125 for one child and £210 for two or more children and (2) 80 per cent. of child care costs up to £100 for one child and £150 for two or more children, excluding any broader impact of the transition to universal credit.

Maria Miller: Universal credit is an integrated working-age benefit that will provide a basic allowance with additional elements for disability, caring responsibilities, housing costs and children. Therefore, households will receive one payment of universal credit rather than separate payments for the different elements.
	As a consequence, separating the child care element from the broader impact of universal credit as a whole could give a misleading impression of whether a household would be better off under universal credit.
	A package of transitional protection is being developed in order to ensure that there will be no cash losers purely as a result of the move to universal credit where circumstances remain the same.

Work Capability Assessment

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of work capability assessments made in the last 12 months have been undertaken by (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) others.

Chris Grayling: Between 1 June 2010 and 31 May 2011 the proportion of work capability assessments undertaken was as follows:
	(a) 44.2% (doctors);
	(b) 52.8% (nurses);
	(c) 3% (others).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of his Department's employees categorised by (a) seniority, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no current plans to publish this information, but is committed to transparency and the availability of data and will keep this under review.

Departmental Research

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) longitudinal and (b) other (i) research and (ii) collection of data his Department has (A) initiated, (B) terminated and (C) amended in the last 12 months; and what such research and data collection exercises undertaken by the Department have not been amended in that period.

David Lidington: Information in the form requested is not available centrally and cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Iran

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of Iraq on the loudspeakers around Camp Ashraf; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy officials have noted the presence of loudspeakers at the entrance to Camp Ashraf. The Government of Iraq have told us that the purpose of the loudspeakers is to allow family members to communicate with relatives inside the camp.
	We regularly discuss the situation of Camp Ashraf with our international partners and have repeatedly pressed the Government of Iraq to ensure the human rights of the residents of Camp Ashraf are respected.

Israel: Borders

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the defence of the borders of Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: In the run-up to demonstrations on 15 May and 5 June, the embassy in Tel Aviv spoke to Israeli Defence Minister Barak as well as to officials in the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli Defence Forces to urge restraint. Israeli officials said that security forces would act with maximum restraint, but stressed the need to protect Israeli citizens.
	Our embassies in Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus and Jerusalem, also lobbied their hosts, underlining the need to avoid provocative actions.
	I refer my hon. friend to the statement issued by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 6 June.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of seeking changes to the rules of engagement in respect of military action in Libya to allow direct attacks on infrastructure supporting the Gadaffi Government; what discussions he has had with NATO counterparts on this issue; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any legal advice received on this matter.

Alistair Burt: Any military action in Libya must be carried out in accordance with Resolution 1973 of the United Nations Security Council, and the Government has made clear that they will ensure that any action by British forces in Libya is lawful. We keep in close and regular touch with our North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies on all aspects of military operations in Libya.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to ensure that Hamas accepts each of the Quartet Principles before participating in any negotiations between the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential implications of the accord between Fatah and Hamas on the ability of the Palestinian Authority to return to peace negotiations.

Alistair Burt: We have been absolutely clear—as has the rest of the international community—that we expect to see a government that rejects violence and pursues a negotiated peace. Mahmoud Abbas as both head of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and President of the Palestinian Authority reaffirmed his commitment to those principles in Cairo on 4 May 2011. He also reiterated that he is committed to a two-state solution— Israel and Palestine—based on 1967 borders. But his new government has yet to be formed. The UK will judge a future Palestinian government by its actions and its readiness to work for peace.

Senegal: Prisoners

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are imprisoned in Senegal.

Henry Bellingham: Our embassy in Senegal is aware of two British nationals imprisoned in Senegal.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the situation in Abyei.

Henry Bellingham: We are deeply concerned at the outbreak of violence in Abyei, and have been monitoring the situation closely.
	We are aware of reports of the large numbers of displaced people from Abyei. At present, lack of access hinders accurate humanitarian needs assessment, but Non Governmental Organisations and the United Nations (UN) are ready to respond once security and access allows. We are working with the UN to ensure that once security and access is granted, assistance will reach these displaced civilians. The UN has reserves of both shelter and food for such situations.
	My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for International Development and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met with the Sudanese Foreign Minister Karti on 6 June, and I held a further meeting with him on 7 June. We urged the Government of Sudan to fully withdraw their armed forces from Abyei.
	Together with our international partners, we are calling on both parties to return to the African Union facilitated negotiations to resolve their differences.

Syrian Arab Republic: Borders

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on border incidents in the Golan Heights.

Alistair Burt: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in his statement of 6 June 2011, Official Report, columns 31-35, we are deeply concerned by reports that a number of protesters have been killed and others injured following protests in the Golan Heights. We recognise Israel's right to defend herself. It is vital that any response is proportionate, avoiding lethal use of force unless absolutely necessary, and that the right to protest is respected. I continue to call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Syria, to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians and to avoid provocative acts.

Syrian Arab Republic: Human Rights

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reports of human rights abuses in Syria.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made on 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 32, by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (York) (Mr Hague).

Trade Unions

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has provided any financial support to (a) the National Union of Teachers, (b) the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, (c) the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, (d) the National Association of Head Teachers and (e) schemes run by those organisations in each year since 1997.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no record of providing any financial support to the specified organisations or schemes run by them.
	However, budgets in the FCO are devolved to over 260 Posts overseas and as details are not held centrally, this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

UN Security Council

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the legal advice he has received on the definition of command and control structures, as opposed to infrastructure, in the interpretation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

Alistair Burt: No. Any such legal advice would be privileged.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will ask HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan authorities allegations of torture, ill treatment and sexual assault of Abid Abou Jihad by a Moroccan police unit;
	(2)  if he will ask HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan authorities the number of complaints of human rights violations filed since 2006 by Saharawi people at the Court of El-Aaiun that mention Corporal Mohamad Elhasouni;
	(3)  if he will ask HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan authorities (a) protests organised by Saharawi people on human rights and (b) arrests at the regional office of the Moroccan National Council for Human Rights;
	(4)  if he will ask HM Ambassador to Morocco to raise with the Moroccan authorities alleged attacks by the Moroccan police on unemployed Saharawi graduates in Boujdour, Western Sahara on 7 May 2011.

Alistair Burt: UN Security Council Resolution 1979 on United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara's (MINURSO) operations, passed on 27 April 2011, contains language on
	“the importance of improving the human rights situation in Western Sahara and the Tindouf camps”
	and
	“encourages the parties to develop independent and credible measures to ensure full respect for human rights.”
	Morocco has recently created a National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) with an office in Laayoune, Western Sahara. We would expect the CNDH to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in Western Sahara and will be monitoring the performance of this new institution. Officials from our embassy in Rabat also travel to Western Sahara on a regular basis.
	The EU Delegation in Rabat conducts enhanced dialogue with human rights defenders from Morocco and Western Sahara, in which British officials are closely involved. There is a regular EU-Morocco human rights dialogue and we will continue to discuss human rights with Morocco bilaterally and with EU partners.

Yemen: Politics and Government

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Yemen.

Jeremy Browne: The situation in Yemen is extremely uncertain following the attack on President Saleh on 3 June, and he is currently receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Saleh's departure brought an end to 10 days of heavy fighting.
	We welcome the announcement of the transfer of authority to the Vice President and urge him to take advantage of this relative calm, working closely with all sides, to implement the Gulf Co-operation Council Agreement and to begin political transition now.
	We urge all sides to continue showing restraint and seek dialogue as the way forward. We support the efforts of the GCC to get all Yemeni sides to agree to a transitional process. We hope now that, with Saleh in Riyadh there will be a real chance for transition to happen.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Pay

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the annual salary cost is of staff in his private office; and what the cost was of salaries in the Deputy Prime Minister's Office in each year from 2007-08 to 2009-10.

Nicholas Clegg: The total staffing cost for my office in 2010-11 was £1,028,487.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

North East Local Economic Partnership

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of progress in establishing the north-east local economic partnership; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The north-east local enterprise partnership was asked to form its board in January. Paul Walker, former CEO of Sage plc, has been appointed as interim chair and is overseeing the recruitment of the formal board. It is anticipated that this will be in place shortly.

ESOL

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish the equality impact assessment undertaken on his Department's co-financing proposals for courses in English for speakers of other languages.

John Hayes: I am determined to reform English for speakers of other languages to make it fairer for people such as those in the hon. Lady's constituency, ensuring improved outcomes and better value for money. That is why I chose, as I was able, to inform the House in a debate on 3 May 2011, Official Report, columns 209-12WH, that the Department expects to publish an equality impact assessment before the summer recess.

Regional Growth Fund

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on the second round of allocations from the regional growth fund; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The second round of the regional growth fund is worth just under £1 billion and bids must be received before 1 July 2011. Applicants are able to attend a series of roadshows, chaired by Lord Heseltine and Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, which offer advice and support to prospective bidders. These roadshows have been heavily subscribed.

One North East

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the opportunity costs of the sale on the open market of the assets held by One North East; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: There is no opportunity cost. Where regional development agency assets are being sold it is either because their regeneration is complete, or because the purchaser is well-placed to continue their development.

Companies: Pay

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department issues on the governance of remuneration committees of limited companies.

Edward Davey: UK quoted companies are required under company law to disclose the members of their remuneration committees and the advisers to those committees.
	The Financial Reporting Council's UK Corporate Governance Code includes principles and provisions on the role and membership of the remuneration committee. Annex A to the code gives guidance about the design of performance-related remuneration for executive directors.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make the carrying out of an impact analysis a pre-condition for all projects supported by the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Edward Davey: ECGD undertakes impact analysis for projects that fall within the ambit of the OECD “Revised Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits” and the OECD “Principles and Guidelines to Promote Sustainable Lending Practices in the Provision of Official Export Credits to Low Income Countries”.

Export Credits Guarantee Department: Developing Countries

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the debt owed by developing countries to the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Edward Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Andrew Gwynne) on 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 645W.

Export Credits Guarantee Department: Human Rights

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to adopt mandatory standards on human rights as part of the remit of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Edward Davey: The Export Credits Guarantees Department (ECGD) considers the human rights impacts of the projects that fall within the ambit of the OECD ‘Revised Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits’, which require projects to be benchmarked against international standards, usually those of the World Bank Group. The standards cover labour and working conditions, community health and safety, land acquisition and involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, etc.

Export Credits Guarantee Department: Technology

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to include green technology products in the remit of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Edward Davey: The Export Credits Guarantee Department is already able to support exports of green technology products.

Export Credits Guarantees Department: Arms Trade

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will prohibit support for (a) arms and (b) fossil fuels from the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Edward Davey: No. A blanket ban that would exclude whole classes of exports from being able to access support from the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) would be unlawful under ECGD's Act. ECGD considers defence and fossil fuel related exports in accordance with its risk standards and its international obligations (e.g. those relating to anti-bribery and corruption and environmental, social and human rights standards) to determine whether or not it can provide support for individual transactions.

Global Positioning System: Earthquakes

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with (a) the US administration and (b) his EU counterparts on the effects of recent earthquakes on the calibration of global positioning systems; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I have not had any discussions with either the US administration or EU counterparts on the effects of recent earthquakes on the calibration of global positioning systems.
	The recent earthquake in Japan has had a small effect on the shape of the Earth which has required their mapping agencies to undertake a readjustment of their geodetic network. This has already taken place. No changes are required to satellite navigation systems as the effect was insignificant compared with annual variations in the Earth's shape.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the legal status is of a local enterprise partnership.

Mark Prisk: As set out in the Local Growth White Paper the Government do not intend to define local enterprise partnerships in legislation. The constitution and legal status of each partnership will be a matter for the partners, informed by the activities that they wish to pursue.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Public Appointments

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department provides to local enterprise partnerships on the appointment of board members.

Mark Prisk: The guidance this Department provides to local enterprise partnerships on the appointment of board members is set out on our website at the following address:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/economic-development/leps/board-membership

Nuclear Engineering: Higher Education

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of (a) vacancies on university courses and (b) graduates in nuclear engineering in each of the next five years.

David Willetts: This information is not available; we do not plan for the number of students at a course, subject or institutional level. The actual number of places on nuclear engineering courses will depend on the decisions of individual universities. We expect the total number of places on all courses in 2011/12 to be broadly similar to 2010/11.

Space Technology

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to promote economic growth in the space sector.

David Willetts: The space sector is an important and dynamic part of our economy, growing at 8% a year. The Government are backing it with £850 million over four years. We also announced more measures for the space industry in the Budget, including removing regulatory barriers and £10 million to start the national space technology strategy programme and to accelerate the development of the International Space Innovation Centre at Harwell. We have also implemented the creation of the new UK Space Agency, which will deliver economic growth by supporting industry to increase the UK's high value space activities.

CABINET OFFICE

Lung Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the incidence rate for lung cancer among (a) men and (b) women (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the incidence rate for lung cancer in people aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:
	1. What the incidence rate for lung cancer among (a) men and (b) women (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available.
	2. What the incidence rate for lung cancer in people aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over (i) in each primary care trust, (ii) in each cancer network and (iii) in England was in the last five years for which figures are available.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2008.
	Table 1(i) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer for (a) men and (b) women in each primary care organisation in England, for each year from 2004 to 2008.
	Table 1(ii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer for (a) men and (b) women in each cancer network in England, for each year from 2004 to 2008.
	Table 1(iii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer for (a) men and (b) women in England, for each year from 2004 to 2008.
	Table 2(i) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer, for persons aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over in each primary care organisation in England, for the years 2004 to 2008 combined.
	Table 2(ii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer, for persons aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over in each cancer network in England, for the years 2004 to 2008 combined.
	Table 2(iii) provides age standardised incidence rate for lung cancer, for persons aged (a) 49 years and under, (b) 50 to 59 years, (c) 60 to 69 years, (d) 70 to 79 years and (e) 80 years and over in England, for the years 2004 to 2008 combined.
	It is ONS policy not to calculate age-standardised rates where there are less than 10 events in a group, as standardised rates based on small numbers of events are susceptible to inaccurate interpretation. Therefore, age standardised rates have been provided for years 2004 to 2008 combined in response to Question 2 and rates for two primary care organisations in Table 2(i) have not been calculated.
	Copies of all tables have been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The latest published figures on the incidence of cancer in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/mb1-39/mb1-no39-2008.pdf

Pensions: Prison Service

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will consider the merits of classing the Prison Service as a uniformed service for the purposes of public sector pensions.

Francis Maude: The Government have accepted the recommendations of Lord Hutton's Independent Public Service Pensions Commission (IPSPC) as a basis for consultation with public service workers, unions and others. We are currently discussing the IPSPC's recommendations with the main public service unions, including the Prison Officers' Association, and we expect to make an announcement in the autumn.

HEALTH

Care Quality Commission

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many statutory notifications the Care Quality Commission received in each category of notification in the year to (a) 1 April and (b) 1 April 2011; and how many such notifications its predecessor organisations received in year since 1 April 2005.

Simon Burns: The following information has been provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
	
		
			 Notifications under: 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Health and Social Care Act 2008 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a (1)110,088 
			 Care Standards Act 2000—adult social Care 242,701 240,997 229,372 243,429 253,103 (2)132,682 
			 Care Standards Act 2000—independent healthcare (3)— (3)— 19,356 23,387 27,462 (2)14,891 
			 (1) National health service providers became registered under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 from 1 April 2010. Private and voluntary health care and adult social care providers became registered under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 from 1 October 2010. (2) Prior to 1 October 2010, private and voluntary health care and adult social care providers were registered under the Care Standards Act 2000. (3) The CQC is currently unable to provide data on notifications prior to 1 April 2007 in relation to independent health care providers. 
		
	
	A breakdown of notifications by category has been placed in the Library.

Art Therapy

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many art therapists are engaged to work in hospitals in (a) East Midlands, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England.

Simon Burns: The number of Hospital and Community Health Service qualified art, music and drama therapists employed in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and England as at 30 September 2010 are provided in the following table. The information is taken from the 2010 Non-Medical Workforce Census published by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care.
	
		
			 NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff—England as at September 2010 
			 Headcount 
			  England Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands 
			 All qualified art/music/drama therapy staff 691 61 25 
			 Consultant Therapist 2 — — 
			 Manager 32 — 2 
			 Therapist 646 60 23 
			 Instructor/teacher 14 1 — 
			 Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care 2010 Non-Medical Workforce Census

Cancer: Health Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that Public Health England and the NHS work together to promote early diagnosis of (a) bowel cancer and (b) other cancers following the implementation of his planned NHS reforms.

Paul Burstow: Early diagnosis of bowel and other cancers requires strong links between the public health system and the national health service. We recently consulted on the funding and commissioning routes for public health services, and on an Outcomes Framework for Public Health, and will be publishing our response in due course.

Cancer: Health Services

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that expertise in cancer commissioning developed by cancer networks is retained in each year of the comprehensive spending review period;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of cancer networks.

Paul Burstow: We know that cancer networks have had a crucial role in promoting excellence and improving outcomes for cancer patients. They have brought together clinical expertise to carry out complex surgery, worked to implement the 'improving outcomes' guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, driven up service quality through peer review and undertaken cancer awareness initiatives.
	We have said that cancer networks will now receive funding in 2012-13 and that, subject to legislation, the NHS Commissioning Board will support strengthened cancer networks in the future. The National Cancer Director, Professor Sir Mike Richards, has been asked to begin work to strengthen the cancer networks and to engage them to understand how best to improve outcomes for patients.

Departmental Contracts

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on each contract with a firm of management consultants since May 2010.

Simon Burns: This information for the whole of financial year 2010-11 (i.e. 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011) is contained in the document entitled “Core Department of Health external consultancy expenditure for financial year 2010-11”, which has been placed in the Library.
	The table placed in the Library shows the total expenditure for 2010-11 as £9.8 million. The like-for-like figure for 2009-10 is £108 million. This is expenditure for “Core Department of Health” contracts and excludes similar expenditure by Connecting for Health (CfH). The CfH figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are £6.3 million and £5 million respectively.
	The Department's procurement database system is a live system with data being added in real time. It is not therefore possible to provide the information from 1 May 2010 onwards, i.e. excluding the month of April 2010; monthly totals and information can be provided only from July 2010 onwards.

Enforcement Actions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many enforcement actions have been taken against (a) NHS trusts, (b) independent healthcare providers and (c) adult social care providers in each of the last three years; and at what level such actions were taken.

Simon Burns: The following information has been provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
	The following table shows detailed enforcement activity taken(1, 2).
	
		
			 Action taken against: 2008-09  (3) 2009-10 2010-11 
			 NHS Trusts 0 5 13 
			 Independent healthcare providers 3 37 19 
			 Adult social care providers 43 480 221 
			 (1) These data refer to centrally held information on the CQC's statutory enforcement powers. It should be noted that the regulations under which statutory enforcement was carried out by the CQC and its predecessor bodies has changed. The national health service came under the new regulatory regime under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 1 April 2010; adult social care and independent healthcare came under the new regime on 1 October 2010. (2) The number of actions outlined in the table does not equate to the number of providers, as multiple actions may have been taken against a single provider. (3) Action taken by the predecessors to the CQC under the Care Standards Act 2000 regulations. 
		
	
	The following table shows detailed enforcement activity.
	
		
			 Enforcement action taken by the CQC and its predecessors between April 2008 and March 2011  (1, 2) 
			 Enforcement action taken against adult social care providers 
			 Type of enforcement activity 2008-09  (1) 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Statutory Requirement Notice 12 373 119 
			 Notice of Proposal to cancel registration (provider and manager) 9 80 31 
			 Notice of Proposal to vary condition 1 19 6 
			 Notice of Proposal to impose condition — — 3 
			 Urgent Application to Cancel Registration 7 1 — 
			 Urgent Application to Vary Conditions 2 — — 
			 Prosecutions completed 12 5 2 
			 Simple Caution — 2 3 
			 Warning Notice — — 57 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 43 480 221 
		
	
	
		
			 Enforcement action taken against independent healthcare providers 
			 Type of enforcement activity 2008-09  (1) 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Statutory Requirement Notice 2 16 3 
			 Notice of Proposal to cancel registration (provider and manager) — 14 12 
			 Notice of Proposal to vary condition — — 1 
			 Notice of Proposal to impose condition — — 0 
			 Urgent Application to Cancel Registration — — 0 
			 Urgent Application to Vary Conditions — — 2 
			 Prosecutions completed 1 7 1 
			 Simple Caution — — — 
			 Warning Notice — — — 
			 Total 3 37 19 
		
	
	
		
			 Enforcement action taken against NHS providers 
			 Type of enforcement activity 2008-09  (1) 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Statutory Requirement Notice — — 1 
			 Notice of Proposal to cancel registration (provider and manager) — — — 
			 Notice of Proposal to vary condition — — 1 
			 Notice of Proposal to impose condition — — — 
			 Urgent Application to Cancel Registration — — — 
			 Urgent Application to Vary Conditions — — — 
			 Prosecutions completed — — — 
			 Simple Caution — — — 
			 Warning Notice — 5 11 
			 Total — 5 13 
			 (1) These data refer to centrally held information on the CQCs statutory enforcement powers. It should be noted that the regulations under which statutory enforcement was carried out by the CQC and its predecessor bodies has changed. The NHS came under the new regulatory regime under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 1 April 2010; adult social care and independent healthcare came under the new regime on 1 October 2010. (2) The number of actions outlined in the table does not equate to the number of providers, as multiple actions may have been taken against a single provider.

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to take steps in relation to the use by/of GP surgeries using 084 telephone numbers after April 2011.

Simon Burns: The Department does not plan to take steps in relation to general practitioner surgeries using 084 numbers. The Department issued guidance and Directions to national health service bodies in December 2009 on the cost of telephone calls, which prohibit the use of telephone numbers which charge the patient more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number to contact the NHS. It is currently the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that local practices are compliant with the Directions and guidance.

NHS Direct: Sign Language

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place for British Sign Language users to contact NHS Direct.

Simon Burns: NHS Direct's core 0845 46 47 service is available through NHS Direct's textphone service, by dialling 0845 606 4647, for patients who are hearing impaired. NHS Direct is also available through the Text Relay service, operated by BT.

NHS: Complementary Medicine

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the continued provision of homeopathy through NHS homeopathic hospitals; how many NHS homeopathic hospitals provide homeopathic treatments and other forms of complementary medicine to NHS patients; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to make decisions on the commissioning and funding of such treatments, taking account of issues to do with safety, clinical and cost effectiveness and the availability of suitably qualified/regulated practitioners.
	The Department is aware of three hospitals in England, and one in Scotland, that specifically provide homeopathic services, but it does not maintain central records of homeopathic or other complementary/alternative treatments provided by other NHS hospitals, though some data on homeopathic prescriptions are collected.

NHS: Reorganisation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Professor Steve Field of the NHS Future Forum during his Department's listening exercise on the future of the NHS.

Simon Burns: Professor Steve Field met with the Secretary of State on 23 May 2011, when they had a general discussion about the listening exercise.
	Professor Field and the Secretary of State attended listening events together on five occasions over the last eight weeks; but these events were for listening to others, rather than for discussion between themselves.

NHS: Reorganisation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings officials in his Department have had with Professor Steve Field.

Simon Burns: Professor Steve Field and other members of the NHS Future Forum have met with various policy officials from the Department over the last eight weeks to understand the detailed wording of the Health and Social Care Bill and its intentions.

NHS: Reorganisation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has requested Professor Steve Field to report to him at the conclusion of the listening exercise on the future of the NHS.

Simon Burns: When the NHS Future Forum was established as part of the NHS Listening Exercise on 13 April 2011, the Government made clear that the forum were to produce a report for the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health. The NHS Future Forum's report will be made public.

NHS: Reorganisation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse has been of sums paid to (a) Professor Steve Field and (b) his colleagues for reimbursement of expenses incurred during the listening exercise on the future of the NHS; and whether sums are to be met from his Department's budget.

Simon Burns: To date (up until 7 June 2011), the expenses invoiced by Professor Steve Field and the 44 other members of the NHS Future Forum, which have been incurred during the eight-week period of the NHS Listening Exercise, are:
	(a) Professor Steve Field: £2,098.74;
	(b) Other NHS Future Forum members: £4,201.04.
	The sums have been met from the Department's allocated budget.

NHS: Reorganisation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support Professor Steve Field has received from his Department during the listening exercise on the future of the NHS; and what the cost to the public purse of such support has been.

Simon Burns: The NHS Future Forum, chaired by Professor Steve Field, has received secretariat support from the Department, including:
	diary management;
	arranging listening events and visits;
	setting up NHS Future Forum meetings;
	updating the Modernisation website with information about the forum;
	providing facts and evidence to support the forum in developing their reports; and
	facilitating access to the Department's policy officials as requested.
	This support has been absorbed within existing departmental staffing levels and has added no additional cost to the public purse.

NHS: Reorganisation

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark of 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 3, on NHS reform, where each of the centrally organised events will be held; on what dates each such event will take place; and how many of those events he plans to attend.

Simon Burns: As part of the listening exercise, which ended on 31 May 2011, the ministerial team, along with members of the NHS Future Forum, have visited every region in the country attending around 200 listening events, to listen to views of the public, staff and patients. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health attended 35 of these events. The vast majority of these events were not organised centrally. To minimise disruption to practising clinicians and to other stakeholders, the Government and NHS Future Forum were invited by a range of organisations to use a number of prescheduled meeting times. These included meetings and events with national stakeholders, frontline NHS staff and patients. Where necessary, the proposed agendas for these meetings were altered to reflect the listening exercise to ensure there was opportunity for explicit discussion around the key themes.

Nutrition

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research on the potential links between increasing salt consumption and improving health his Department has evaluated.

Anne Milton: The evidence linking salt consumption and health was evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) in 2003. This concluded that the evidence that high salt intakes led to high blood pressure had strengthened since the issue was last considered in 1994. SACN also stated that, as high blood pressure was a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, reducing average population salt intake to 6 grams (and less for children) would proportionally lower population average blood pressure and confer significant public health benefits.
	Officials continue to review published studies and, since 2003, there has been no new evidence that would alter the scientific consensus reported by SACN.

Out-patients: Attendance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce non-attendance rates for hospital appointments.

Simon Burns: Primary care trusts are responsible for agreeing local access policies, which set out how to prevent and deal with DNAs (did not attend) for local populations.
	The percentage of missed appointments as a proportion of hospital activity remains broadly stable.
	National health service organisations respond to the problem of DNAs in a number of ways, such as sending reminder letters, telephone reminders and/or automated texts to mobile phones.
	The NHS Constitution emphasises patients' responsibilities including making it clear that "you should keep appointments, or cancel within reasonable time. Receiving treatment within the maximums may be compromised if you do".

Pharmacy

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used in determining whether to allow new commercial registered pharmacy premises to open; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: In England, any person can open a pharmacy if they meet the requirements of the Medicines Act 1968. However, no pharmacy or appliance contractor can be included on a primary care trust's pharmaceutical list to provide NHS pharmaceutical services unless granting the application is “necessary or expedient” to secure the adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in the primary care trust's area. This is known as the “control of entry” test and the requirements are set out in the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services Regulations) 2005. There are currently four exemptions to that test (provided certain criteria are met).

Prescriptions: Databases

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations (a) his Department and (b) the NHS Information Centre have received on proposals to publish prescribing data at practice level; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to paragraph 2.200 of The Plan for Growth of March 2011, what estimate his Department has made of the potential number of patient records the confidentiality of which would be at risk from the publication of prescribing data at practice level; and what factors it has taken into consideration in evaluating this risk;
	(3)  with reference to paragraph 2.200 of The Plan for Growth of March 2011, with which (a) organisations and (b) individuals the NHS Information Centre will consult as part of its evaluation and impact assessment of the publication of prescribing data at practice level; whether it plans to undertake a public consultation on its proposals for publication; whether his Department will have regard to the outcome of the NHS Information Centre's consultation on the wider release of primary care prescribing data; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Government are looking to publish prescribing data at practice level subject to an evaluation and impact assessment by the NHS Information Centre. The Information Centre has begun this process; this is a high level review of the implications of publishing practice-level prescribing data, reflecting the fact that there are different interests involved. It is important therefore that the impact assessment is seen to be objective.
	In line with the broader strategic approach to information, the results of the Information Centre's impact assessment will be a vital first step to ensure that aggregated data can be made available without the risk of sensitive, personal or patient-identifiable information being made public. The Department will consider how best to take forward this proposal in due course, in the light of the findings of the Information Centre's impact assessment.
	The Information Centre is drawing on information from a range of sources, reflecting the different perspectives including policy and research, pharmaceutical professionals and industry. The process will be especially mindful that the interests associated with transparency and economic growth, with patient choice, and with confidentiality of patient and professional must be considered in the final decision, and the impact assessment will help inform that decision.
	The NHS Information Centre is not consulting on the review, and so has not sought formal representations. While, apart from a letter to the Prime Minister, from the hon. Member himself, the Department is not aware of any formal representations specifically on this issue, the Department will consider whether there is such a need to consult, based on the decision that it reaches about what will be made available, and in what format.
	We are clear that any decisions about publishing these data must not compromise patient confidentiality.

School Milk

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to increase the uptake of free milk amongst primary school children.

Anne Milton: The Nursery Milk Scheme reimburses child care providers the cost of a third of a pint of milk for children under five years old who attend for two or more hours a day. This includes some four-year-olds in reception classes at primary schools. The Nursery Milk Scheme has been running for many years and we believe that awareness of the scheme is high, with over 50,000 child care providers currently registered with the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit. The Nursery Milk Scheme is the only milk scheme provided by the Department.
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs runs the EU school milk scheme and a national top-up subsidy, which aims to encourage more consumption by primary school children.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Overseas Aid

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Leader of the House whether he has established a timetable for the passage of the proposed legislation to enshrine in law the commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on official development assistance from 2013.

George Young: The coalition Government have set out how we will meet our commitment to spend 0.7% of national income as overseas aid from 2013.
	As the Prime Minister said to the Liaison Committee, the Government will bring forward legislation on this issue during this Parliament.

Written Questions

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Leader of the House what information he holds on the proportion of questions for written answer on a named day which have received a substantive answer (a) on the day named, (b) (i) two, (ii) three, (iv) four, (v) five and (vi) six days later than the day named and (c) more than (A) one, (B) two, (C) three and (D) four weeks later than the day named in the present session of Parliament.

George Young: The information requested is a matter for individual Departments. In the present Session my office has substantively answered all 29 named day written parliamentary questions on the day named.
	In response to the Procedure Committee's Second Report of 2010-12, the Government accepted the committee's recommendation to provide the committee with sessional statistics on written parliamentary question performance for the current Session within three months of the end of this Session. Further details, including statistics for the 2009-10 Session, are available in my February 2011 submission to the Procedure Committee, numbered P85, which is available on the publications page of the Committee's website.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Infrastructure Levy

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what limits he plans to put in place on the level of charges local authorities can make on planning applications for the community infrastructure levy.

Bob Neill: Section 211 of the Planning Act 2008, Regulation 14 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 and the Community Infrastructure Levy Guidance: Charge setting and charging schedule procedures (March, 2010) set out the framework within which charging authorities can set local charges. In doing so, authorities must consider the potential impact that their proposed charges will have on the economic viability of development across their area and ensure that their charges are informed by and consistent with the evidence. Before proposed charges can be approved, they are tested at a public examination held by an independent examiner. The examiner must be satisfied that the proposed charges comply with the legislation and the authority has had regard to the guidance.

Community Infrastructure Levy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum contribution is a local authority can make towards flood prevention measures without activating the trigger for a referendum under the community infrastructure levy proposed in the Localism Bill.

Bob Neill: There are no provisions under the Community Infrastructure Levy, or the changes to it in the Localism Bill, for the holding of a referendum.

Departmental Official Cars

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department last used a ministerial car while travelling in an official capacity; and how many times (i) he and (ii) each other Minister in his Department has travelled to their constituency in a ministerial car since May 2010.

Bob Neill: All ministerial travel is in accordance with the arrangements for official travel as set out in the Ministerial Code, which states that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
	In a typical week, members of the ministerial team do make use of the ministerial car service to travel in an official capacity.
	The incoming Government agreed to minimise the use of allocated Government Car and Dispatch Agency cars with drivers—that is, a full-time driver available to each Minister. This change will make savings in comparison to spending on Government cars under the previous Administration. The Department now retains one allocated car. The Department's five other allocated cars have been given up and Ministers now use a pool car service on demand provided by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency.
	Detailed information on journeys is available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many meals at venues outside the Department were provided from the public purse for (a) the right hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen and his guests, (b) the right hon. Member for Don Valley and her guests and (c) the right hon. Member for Wentworth and his guests and at what cost, during the time each was a Minister in his Department;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 910W, on departmental official hospitality, and with reference to paragraph 74 of the Third Report of the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09, on Written Parliamentary Questions, HC 952, if he will make it his policy to disclose in answers to parliamentary questions the information on expenditure by his Department on ministerial meals and restaurants between 2008 and 2010 that would have been disclosed had a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for this information been submitted to his Department.

Bob Neill: holding answer 31 March 2011
	That is already the policy of this Department.
	Further to my answer of 22 March 2011, Official Report, column 910W, based on an analysis of data held on Government Procurement Cards, expenditure in restaurants involving Ministers totalled some £2,500 in the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10. A more detailed breakdown of expenditure on individual meals, together with details of venues and guests, would require the checking of transactions against individual invoices and ministerial diaries and could thus be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the interests of transparency, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol North West (Charlotte Leslie) on 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 33-34W, which provides a full list of card transactions for the Department in the financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Departmental Official Visits

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the date was of each official visit to each local authority area undertaken by the right hon. Member for Don Valley during the period when she was a Minister in his Department.

Bob Neill: In line with established convention, present Ministers are not accountable to Parliament for events which took place under a previous Administration. This is outlined in the Directory of Civil Service Guidance (volume II, page 11). Copies of the guidance are available in the Library of the House.

Electricity

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities will have powers to introduce local standards for electrical safety which are more stringent than national standards after enactment of his proposals in the Localism Bill.

Andrew Stunell: The proposals in the Localism Bill introduce no new powers for local authorities to impose local standards for electrical safety.
	Electrical safety in workplaces is covered by the Electricity at Work Regulations and in dwellings by Part P of the Building Regulations.
	Local authorities are already able to specify whatever standards they consider appropriate when procuring new buildings or other electrical work.

Enterprise Zones: North East

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the economy of the North East of the creation of enterprise zones.

Bob Neill: Local Enterprise Partnerships are currently developing detailed proposals for enterprise zones. The Government will assess these proposals based on their potential for growth, value for money, and a robust implementation plan.

Enterprise Zones: Per Capita Costs

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of each job created in an enterprise zone.

Bob Neill: Local Enterprise Partnerships are currently developing detailed proposals for enterprise zones. The Government will assess these proposals based on their potential for growth, value for money, and a robust implementation plan.

Fire Services: Private Sector

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the leasing of fire appliances from private sector companies.

Bob Neill: holding answer 7 June 2011
	Sharing back office functions and improving procurement are key ways that fire and rescue authorities can deliver sensible savings, while protecting the quality and breadth of frontline services offered to their communities.
	While each fire and rescue authority is responsible for their own policy on procurement, they should constantly search for the best value for money in delivering their services. Outsourcing the provision of capital equipment can be one such way, provided the precise terms and conditions of the contract represent value for money in the long term.
	I know that the hon. Member has an ongoing interest in the contract between London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) and AssetCo.
	As you will expect, we have been in close contact with LFEPA over the financial situation regarding AssetCo. LFEPA have given us their assurance that appropriate arrangements are in place to meet their statutory duties, and ensure a continued service to the people of London, irrespective of AssetCo's particular financial circumstances.
	Notwithstanding, I would note that these outsourcing arrangements have previously been beneficial for Londoners by strengthening resilience and business continuity. Indeed, the level of investment provided by the contractor as part of the private finance initiative contract has meant that the current fleet and equipment is more modern and effective than could have been achieved by LFEPA if they had procured directly themselves. During the industrial action last year, AssetCo deployed 27 fully crewed fire appliances, from 27 strategic locations across the London Fire Brigade area.

Gifts and Endowments

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what gifts valued below £140 (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department received in 2009-10.

Bob Neill: The receipt of gifts by Ministers is handled in accordance with the provisions of the Ministerial Code. The reporting and recording of gifts offered to or received by officials is a requirement of the Department for Communities and Local Government Staff Handbook and the Civil Service Management Code.
	The gifts valued below £140 recorded in central departmental records as received by DCLG officials and Ministers in the 2009-10 financial year were:
	Officials
	Ballpoint pen
	Board game
	Books
	Business card holder
	Ceramic saucer
	Chocolates
	Decanter
	DVD
	Fountain pen
	Ginseng tea
	Glass ornament
	Music CDs
	Panettone
	Paperweight
	Three rucksacks, three torches, three USB sticks and books
	Shopping bags
	Silver coin
	Silver Sikh ring and pin
	Stationery
	Wine and spirits
	Wine glasses
	Ministers
	Book
	Calendar
	Decorative plaques
	Fine bone china plate
	Food hamper
	Framed photograph
	Lacquerware box
	Mug
	Photo frame
	Stationery
	Wine and spirits
	Wooden plate.

Homelessness

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to increase local accountability in respect of community empowerment and the inclusion of (a) the homeless community and (b) other groups in the allocation of provision of services.

Andrew Stunell: Under legislation which is already in place, councils are subject to legal duties to provide services for certain groups, and to consult these groups about services provided. For example, local authorities have various duties under the homelessness legislation, including the requirement to secure suitable accommodation for households who are eligible for assistance, homeless through no fault of their own and in “priority need”.
	A council is under a legal duty to consult representatives of those who use or are likely to use its services on how it achieves continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions (including service delivery). This is set out in the Local Government Act 1999, section 3(2). The Government encourage the involvement of homeless people in service planning and design.
	My Department is currently consulting on reforms to Best Value guidance to ensure that councils give greater support to local voluntary and community groups, as outlined in my Department's press notice of 13 April 2011.

Housing: Durham

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of single occupancy residency is in (a) England, (b) the North East and (c) North West Durham constituency.

Andrew Stunell: An estimated 28% of households in England and 30% of households in the north-east were single person households in 2009-10. These estimates are based on data from the English Housing Survey. Estimates of the proportion of single person households at constituency level are not possible using survey data.
	Based on 2001 census data, the proportion of single person households in England in 2001 was 30%; the proportion in the north-east was 31%; and the proportion in the North West Durham constituency was 30%.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which business organisations he consulted on the decision to establish a representative body for local enterprise partnerships.

Bob Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 May 2011, Official Report, column 1034W, to the hon. Member for Torbay (Mr Sanders).
	The British Chambers of Commerce is committed to working closely with other business organisations to ensure that the network is a success. We hope other business organisations will engage constructively in this work going forward.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has considered the merits of establishing a model constitution for local enterprise partnerships to include representation from all sizes of business.

Bob Neill: Getting the right membership for each local enterprise partnership's board is key to securing effective business engagement and ensuring a strong focus on the needs of local economies. As we set out in the Local Growth White Paper last October, we would normally expect to see business representatives form half the board with a prominent business leader in the chair.
	While we are not being prescriptive as to who should sit on partnership boards, we would expect to see business members with first hand knowledge and experience of the local businesses environment, through a strong track record of local business leadership at a senior level. We would also want to see board members drawn from a breadth of experience, from small enterprises through to large businesses, representing the key sectors in their local area.

Local Government Association

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many occasions the right hon. Member for Don Valley met representatives of the Local Government Association during the periods she was a Minister in his Department.

Bob Neill: In this instance, the Department no longer holds the information requested.

Local Government Finance

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on formula grant of proposals for business rate retention;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect any change to the formula grant resulting from proposed changes to business rate retention will have on the most deprived communities in England;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed retention of business rates on local authorities in whose areas business rate contributions have increased at a rate below the national average.

Bob Neill: The Local Government Resource Review is considering options to allow local authorities to keep at least a proportion of their business rates which currently form part of the Formula Grant. The terms of reference of the review make clear that the review will consider how to fund those authorities where locally raised funding would be insufficient to meet budget requirements, recognising that some authorities are currently more dependent on central government funding than others. The review will publish its proposals in July for consultation.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 30 March and 12 May 2011 on regional spatial strategies and his Department's Circular 01/2006.

Bob Neill: A reply to the letter of 30 March was sent on 21 April and the 12 May letter was replied to on 8 June.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received on the decision to end support for empty property rates.

Bob Neill: Since the written ministerial statement of 13 December 2010, Official Report, columns 61-62W, Ministers at this Department have received 83 letters on empty property rates measures and have met two MPs with their constituents to discuss empty property rates.
	As the statement set out, undoing the last Government's increase in empty property taxation was unaffordable given the need to tackle the deficit, but we are keeping the matter under review.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of empty property business rates.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 8 February 2011, Official Report, column 178W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer).

Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 35814, tabled on 19 January 2011 for answer on 21 January 2011, on local government finance settlement.

Bob Neill: holding answer 4 May 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 24 May 2011, Official Report, columns 687-88W.

Planning Permission

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the merits of introducing a compensation directive in the event of local authorities choosing to exercise powers under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 for the purposes of providing certainty and protection from unreasonable compensatory demands from developers.

Bob Neill: The Government are considering what amendments may be required to the Town and Country Planning (Compensation) (England) Regulations, so that if an article 4 direction is used to withdraw permitted development rights for the demolition of non-residential premises, compensation may only be claimed if an application for planning permission is submitted within 12 months of the direction being made. It would also mean that if 12 months’ notice were given of such an article 4 direction being made, there would be no ability to claim compensation.

Planning Permission

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that landowners who allow their property to be used for local amenities are able to appeal against any proposal to add their property to the Heritage Assets list under the powers provided by Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.

Bob Neill: I believe my hon. Friend is referring to the Assets of Community Value provisions within the Localism Bill. The Bill requires the relevant local authority to list any land or buildings which are nominated as being of community value, if they meet the definition of an Asset of Community Value. This definition will be set out in regulations, following careful consideration of the responses that we have received to the public consultation that closed on 3 May. The Bill also gives landowners the right to an internal review of a decision to list an asset, and provides for the possibility of a further independent appeal hearing against that decision. The Government will be setting out in detail the provision they intend to make in due course.

Planning Permission

George Hollingbery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications in each development category were required to be referred to the Secretary of State under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2009 in each year since its entry into force; and how many such applications so referred the Secretary of State also called in for determination in each such year.

Bob Neill: It is for local authorities to determine whether an application they receive falls within the requirements of the Direction and therefore whether or not it should be referred to the Secretary of State.
	Since April 2009, when the Direction came into force, the Secretary of State has received 476 referrals in total, of which seven were called-in. The numbers of specific development types referred and called-in each year are as follows:
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 (to date) 
			  Total Call in Total Call in Total Call in 
			 Green Belt 42 0 152 2 47 2 
			 Playing Field 10 0 51 0 19 0 
			 Flood Risk Area 1 1 6 1 0 0 
			 Outside Town Centre 21 0 95 1 30 0 
			 World Heritage Site 0 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Total 74 1 305 4 97 2

Planning Permission: Appeals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning appeals in each category the Planning Inspectorate considered in each of the last five years; and how many and what proportion of such appeals were (a) upheld and (b) dismissed.

Bob Neill: The total number of planning appeals in each category (i.e. type of development) considered in each of the last five years and the proportion that were upheld and dismissed is shown in the yearly following tables.
	
		
			 2006 
			   Upheld Dismissed 
			 Category Total decisions Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Major dwellings (10 or more) 1,381 453 33 928 67 
			 Major offices 10 6 64 4 36 
			 Major manufacturers/stores/warehouses 18 7 39 11 61 
			 Major retail 31 12 39 19 61 
			 Mineral workings 3 3 100 0 0 
			 Other major development 224 104 46 120 54 
			 Minor dwellings (less than 10) 6,906 1,898 27 5,008 73 
			 Minor offices 103 33 32 70 68 
			 Minor manufacturers/stores/warehouses 123 42 34 81 66 
			 Minor retail 213 81 38 132 62 
			 Other minor development 3,183 1,320 41 1,863 59 
			 Householder development 5,756 1,974 34 3,782 66 
			 Change of use 1,729 648 37 1,081 63 
		
	
	
		
			 2007 
			   Upheld Dismissed 
			 Category Total decisions Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Major dwellings (10 or more) 1,284 488 38 796 62 
			 Major offices 14 8 57 6 43 
			 Major manufacturers/stores/warehouses 24 16 67 8 33 
			 Major retail 27 14 52 13 48 
			 Mineral workings 11 3 27 8 73 
			 Other major development 325 129 40 196 60 
		
	
	
		
			 Minor dwellings (less than 10) 6,524 1,871 29 4,653 71 
			 Minor offices 99 43 43 56 57 
			 Minor manufacturers/stores/warehouses 85 37 44 48 56 
			 Minor retail 207 89 43 118 57 
			 Other minor development 3,442 1,511 44 1,931 56 
			 Householder development 6,655 2,409 36 4,246 64 
			 Change of use 1,834 718 39 1,116 61 
		
	
	
		
			 2008 
			   Upheld Dismissed 
			 Category Total decisions Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Major dwellings (10 or more) 1,344 431 32 913 68 
			 Major offices 20 10 50 10 50 
			 Major manufacturers/stores/warehouses 23 18 78 5 22 
			 Major retail 32 14 44 18 56 
			 Mineral workings 15 7 47 8 53 
			 Other major development 349 155 44 194 56 
			 Minor dwellings (less than 10) 7,525 2,072 38 5,453 72 
			 Minor offices 133 51 38 82 62 
			 Minor manufacturers/stores/warehouses 118 41 35 77 65 
			 Minor retail 166 68 41 98 59 
			 Other minor development 2,538 1,014 40 1,524 60 
			 Householder development 7,049 2,515 36 4,534 64 
			 Change of use 1,767 706 40 1,061 60 
		
	
	
		
			 2009 
			   Upheld Dismissed 
			 Category Total   d  ecisions Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Major dwellings (10 or more) 814 310 38 504 62 
			 Major offices 16 7 44 9 56 
			 Major manufacturers/stores/warehouses 12 7 58 5 42 
			 Major retail 22 14 64 8 36 
			 Mineral workings 7 4 57 3 43 
			 Other major development 268 133 50 135 50 
			 Minor dwellings (less than 10) 6,299 1,720 27 4,579 73 
			 Minor offices 124 49 40 75 60 
			 Minor manufacturers/stores/warehouses 99 29 29 70 71 
			 Minor retail 185 83 45 102 55 
			 Other minor development 2,305 949 41 1,356 59 
			 Householder development 6,897 2,450 36 4,447 64 
			 Change of use 1,371 540 39 831 61 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 
			   Upheld Dismissed 
			 Category Total   d  ecisions Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 Major dwellings (10 or more) 644 231 36 413 64 
			 Major offices 8 5 63 3 38 
			 Major manufacturers/stores/warehouses 16 5 31 11 69 
			 Major retail 37 22 59 15 41 
			 Mineral workings 8 2 25 6 75 
			 Other major development 219 104 47 115 53 
			 Minor dwellings (less than 10) 4,675 1,158 25 3,517 75 
			 Minor offices 92 34 37 58 63 
			 Minor manufacturers/stores/warehouses 133 48 36 85 64 
			 Minor retail 330 116 35 214 65 
			 Other minor development 1,585 663 42 922 58 
			 Householder development 6,581 2,312 35 4,269 65 
			 Change of use 1,530 .535 35 995 65

Special Advisers: Code of Conduct

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  with reference to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary to the right hon. Member for Don Valley of 10 May 2011, what the basis was for the investigation into allegations relating to comments made regarding Jenny Watson;
	(2)  whether he was involved in the investigation into alleged comments regarding Jenny Watson made by a member of his Department;
	(3)  whether the code of conduct for special advisers has been breached by any special adviser in his Department since May 2010.

Bob Neill: I refer the right hon. Member to my Department's Freedom of Information disclosure log entry on the Conduct of Ministers, special advisers and senior civil servants, disclosed on 5 April 2011, which provides a comprehensive reply:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/foi/disclosure-log/disclosurelog2011/april2011/conductministersadvisers/

Trade Unions

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial support his Department has provided to (a) the National Union of Teachers, (b) the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, (c) the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, (d) the National Association of Head Teachers and (e) schemes run by those organisations in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) were created following the Machinery of Government Changes on 5 May 2006 and 29 May 2002 respectively.
	The Department has not provided any financial support to any of the unions mentioned.
	The Department and Government Offices have, however, on a number of occasions hired rooms/halls and equipment from the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head Teachers for departmental events. Details of the payments are given in the following table. The 2010-11 payment, relating to the hire of Mander Hall for a PAN Government Agreement Member event, took place before the general election.
	Details of payments prior to May 2002 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Financial year National Union of Teachers National Association of Head Teachers 
			 2002-03 182.26 0 
			 2003-04 0 176.25 
			 2005-06 1,482.00 0 
			 2006-07 200.51 0 
			 2007-09 0 0 
			 2009-10 1,809.50 0 
			 2010-11 893.88 0 
			 Total 4,568.15 176.25

TREASURY

Enterprise Investment Scheme

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to extend Enterprise Investment Scheme relief to assets held via limited liability partnerships.

Justine Greening: The Government plans to publish a consultation document on changes to the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust Scheme shortly, building on the announcements made at Budget 2011.

Aggregates Levy Credit Scheme

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the European Commission since 8 March 2011 on state aid approval for the aggregates levy credit scheme in Northern Ireland.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 March 2011, Official Report, column 957W, to the hon. Member for Belfast East (Naomi Long).

Banks: Loans

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the money lent to small and medium-sized enterprises was lent to businesses based in Scotland in the first quarter of 2011.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 8 June 2011
	On 9 February the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new commitment by the UK's biggest high-street banks on lending expectations and capacity. As part of this commitment, the banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is a 15% increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
	The Bank of England reported the banks' first quarter performance against the Merlin commitment on 23 May. The banks lent an aggregate total of £47.3 billion in the last quarter; within which, £16.8 billion was to SMEs. The Government are encouraged that the banks are broadly on track to meet their overall commitment, but the banks must do more to lend to SMEs.
	The Treasury does not hold a regional breakdown of lending to SMEs in Scotland in the first quarter. However, in response to the Government's Green Paper on business finance, the BBA published the outcomes of their Business Finance Taskforce, which was written in conjunction with the six major UK banks. The Taskforce banks have committed to improving customer relationships through a new Lending Code, ensuring better access to finance and promoting better understanding. As part of these commitments, later this year, the banks will publish a regular cross-industry dataset that will show regional lending on an annual basis.

Disadvantaged: Financial Services

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure that sectors which benefit from repaid debt other than the financial services sector contribute towards the funding of debt advice if responsibility for debt advice is transferred to the Money Advice Service.

Mark Hoban: Government are currently considering how the funding and provision of publicly supported debt advice can be put on a sustainable footing, for the future. These considerations include the possibility of the Money Advice Service taking on responsibility for the co-ordination of debt advice services, and whether existing provisions in the Financial Services Act 2010 which allow the Office of Fair Trading to apply a levy on consumer credit licensees and applicants to contribute to funding the Money Advice Service, should be used.

Excise Duties: Biofuels

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the 20 pence fuel duty differential for biodiesel.

Justine Greening: holding answer 24 May 2011
	The duty differential will end as intended on 31 March 2012. Under changes to the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), additional support for biofuels from waste including used cooking oil is being provided by double counting the contribution they make toward national targets. An open consultation is currently under way at
	www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open
	and the industry is invited to respond.

Public Sector: Investment

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of public sector net investment was in each year since 1981.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 7 June 2011
	Public sector net investment since 1981 was:
	
		
			  £ billion 
			 1981-82 2.6 
			 1982-83 4.5 
			 1983-84 5.7 
			 1984-85 5.3 
			 1985-86 4.3 
			 1986-87 2.7 
			 1987-88 2.6 
			 1988-89 1.7 
			 1989-90 6.6 
			 1990-91 7.8 
			 1991-92 10.8 
			 1992-93 11.6 
			 1993-94 9.4 
			 1994-95 9.8 
			 1995-96 10.1 
			 1996-97 5.4 
			 1997-98 4.8 
			 1998-99 6.0 
			 1999-2000 5.5 
			 2000-01 5.1 
			 2001-02 11.9 
			 2002-03 13.8 
			 2003-04 15.6 
			 2004-05 20.6 
			 2005-06 23.5 
			 2006-07 25.8 
			 2007-08 28.9 
			 2008-09 46.6 
		
	
	
		
			 2009-10 49.5 
			 2010-11 41.1 
		
	
	The 2010 spending review also set out higher capital spending in each year to 2014-15 than the previous Government's plans.

Retail Prices Index

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what purposes he proposes to use the retail prices index as the measure of inflation.

Justine Greening: In June 2010 the Government announced that from April 2011 the consumer prices index (CPI) rather than the retail prices index (RPI) will be used for the indexation of all benefits, tax credits and public service pensions.
	Budget 2011 announced that from April 2012 the default indexation assumption for direct taxes will switch from the RPI to the CPI. To ensure employers and older people do not lose out, the annual increases in the employer national insurance contributions threshold, and the age-related allowance and other thresholds for older people, will be over-indexed compared to the CPI, and will increase by the equivalent of the RPI. The personal allowance will increase from 2013-14 by at least the equivalent of the RPI, until the Government's goal of increasing the personal allowance to £10,000 is achieved.
	The default indexation assumption for indirect taxes and index-linked gilts is currently RPI. The Government expect to undertake a formal consultation on the issuance of CPI-linked gilts in 2011-12. The Government will also review the use of the CPI for indirect taxes once their fiscal consolidation plans have been implemented and the duty increases they inherited from the previous Government have come to an end.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what classes of individual are not allowed to file tax returns online; and for what reasons in each case.

David Gauke: The vast majority of Self Assessment taxpayers can take advantage of HMRCs online services to file their tax return via the internet. However, a small proportion of SA taxpayers are not able to file online, usually because they need to complete special dedicated pages.
	A full list of these exclusions is available on the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) website at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/ebu/2011-exc-indi.pdf
	These customers are not able to file online as it would be disproportionately costly to develop the necessary forms and links to departmental computer systems.

Trust Ports: Sales

Nick Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any receipts due to the Government from any sale of trust ports are to be hypothecated to the Green Investment Bank.

Justine Greening: The Department for Transport would consider any applications by a trust port for privatisation, against their published criteria.
	Should there be a proposal to dispose of a trust port, the Government would announce at an appropriate moment whether proceeds from such a disposal might be allocated to the Green Investment Bank.

EDUCATION

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of his Department's employees categorised by (a) seniority, (b) number of employees taking voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy.

Tim Loughton: The Government are committed to transparency and the availability of data and are currently exploring options for the more frequent publication of this type of workforce management information across the civil service.
	Staff information is published annually within the Department's Resource Accounts and is available on the Department's website. Information for the last financial year (2010-11) will be available after the first week of July 2011:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmental information/reports/a00390/annual-departmental-reports-accounts-and-spending-reviews

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department plans to cease to fund any of its functions over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

Tim Loughton: The Business Plan for the Department for Education sets out the Department's priorities over this spending review period. These priorities include the rationalisation of the Department's arm’s length bodies and merging some of their functions into four new executive agencies to improve the transparency, accountability and efficiency of the way the education system is supported. This will reduce the administrative cost of the DfE in line with the commitments set out in the spending review.

GCE A-level

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the relative number of students taking each A level subject in (a) sixth form colleges and (b) maintained schools in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

History: Qualifications

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of students sat (a) GCSE and (b) A-level examinations in history in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The percentage of students who were entered for GCSEs and A-levels in history in each of the last five years is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils entered for GCSE history  (1, 2) Percentage of pupils entered for A-level history  (3) 
			 2006 32 16 
			 2007 31 16 
			 2008 31 16 
			 2009 32 16 
			 2010 31 17 
			 (1) Figures from 2001 to 2004 relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year. (2) Figures from 2005 relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. (3) 16 to 18-year-old candidates entered for GCE/Applied GCE A-levels and Double Awards. Source: School and College Performance Tables.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on age-appropriate relationships education in schools.

Nick Gibb: All schools are encouraged to provide age-appropriate sex and relationships education (SRE) as part on non-statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. In primary schools, education about relationships should focus on friendship, bullying and building self-esteem. Education about relationships in secondary schools should build on existing skills and knowledge and provide young people with opportunities to explore deeper issues around relationships, such as how relationships change over time and how to deal with a breakdown in relationships. Within the context of talking about relationships, pupils should be taught about the nature of marriage and other stable relationships, and their importance for family life and for bringing up children.

Religion: GCSE

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review periodically (a) the number of schools offering GCSE religious education and (b) the humanities element of the English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: We will continue to monitor all subjects being taught by all teachers in maintained secondary schools through the School Workforce Census. This information is collected annually, and is published in spring each year. We will also be examining trends in GCSE entries.

Separation

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on relationship support services with respect to family separation in each of the last four years;
	(2)  whether the funding allocated for relationship support services with respect to family separation in the next four years is additional to existing grant spending in this area.

Sarah Teather: In December 2010, the Prime Minister announced a dedicated fund of £30 million over the next four years to support couple relationships. The majority of this funding will be allocated to the voluntary and community sector. Prior to this there was no dedicated funding for relationship support services.
	From April 2006 to March 2011, some funding was granted to voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver relationship support services as part of the Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) Grant programme. This funding was awarded as part of support for families more generally, so cannot be separated out in detail for the whole of this period, but the funding to organisations delivering a range of relationship support over the period 2009-11 was £10 million. In addition, across the period 2009-11 funding of £4.5 million was made available to fund child poverty pilots which specifically focused on supporting parents through separation.
	The CYPF grant was replaced by the VCS grant in April 2011 with the aim of increasing the take-up and availability of relationship support. Work funded under this grant covers all stages of relationships including those experiencing separation.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to questions 55761 and 55767, on the Frank Buttle Trust, tabled on 11 May 2011 for answer on 13 May 2011.

Tim Loughton: The Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, my hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr Hayes), answered these questions on 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 626W.

JUSTICE

Community Orders

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice on Staff Transfers in the Public Sector applies to the National Offender Management Service's Community Payback Procurement;
	(2)  when he expects to complete the National Offender Management Service Community Payback Procurement;
	(3)  whether compliance with the Code of Practice on Workforce Matters in Public Sector Contracts was set as a condition during the competition for providers to be accepted onto the National Offender Management Service Community Payback National Provider Framework;
	(4)  what assumptions the National Offender Management Service has made regarding the source of funding for the day-to-day bulk transfer of accrued pension service of any probation staff transferred to the private sector as a result of a private contractor on the Community Payback National Provider Framework winning a contract to provide Community Payback.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice will apply the prevailing Government policy at the time of transfer.
	The procurement for the National Offender Management Service Community Payback Procurement is planned to be completed by April 2013.
	All bidders and subsequent providers that were awarded the Community Payback National Provider Framework demonstrated that they would comply with the prevailing Government policy.
	All bidders and subsequent providers that were awarded the zero value Community Payback National Provider Framework were provided with a Principles of Competition document as part of the competition process. The Principles of Competition stated the following in relation to Admitted Body Status (ABS) or where pension requirements are to be met through a broadly comparable scheme:
	For ABS:
	“The contractor will be required to fund, over the course of the contract, the benefits accruing during the period of that contract for those staff covered by the admission agreement. Pension liabilities accruing during the period of the contract should be fully paid for by the end of the contract. This will include any additional costs for increases in past service liabilities because of decisions made by the contractor for its pensionable employees, such as pay increases in excess of those paid by the contracting authority.”
	For a broadly comparable scheme:
	“it is required that the comparability is certified by the Government Actuary's Department. A broadly comparable scheme will be one which, in the professional opinion of the actuary, satisfies the condition that there are no identifiable employees who will suffer material detriment overall in terms of their future accrual of pension benefits under the alternative scheme.” The pension scheme arrangements would be notified to the Authority as part of the response to the Lot specific mini-competitions. Given that the mini-competitions have yet to take place the precise terms relating to pension provision is not known at present.”
	The pension scheme arrangements would be notified to the Authority as part of the response to the Lot specific mini-competitions. Given that the mini-competitions have yet to take place the precise terms relating to how admitted body status will be applied is not known at present.

Driving Offences: Speed Limits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the expected date of publication is for data on (a) convictions, (b) cautions and (c) fixed penalty notices in respect of speeding offences in each police force area in England and Wales in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The publication date for court proceedings data including convictions and cautions in respect of speeding offences in England and Wales for the calendar year of 2010 was 26 May 2011. Data for 2011 will be available quarterly on a rolling annual basis; the first quarterly covering April 2010 to March 2011 will be available on 25 August 2011. Data for the calendar year of 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
	Data on fixed penalty notices for speeding offences in England and Wales for 2010 are expected to be published by the Home Office in April 2012, with figures for 2011 expected to be published in April 2013.

Office of the Chief Coroner

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what budget had been proposed for the Office of the Chief Coroner for each year of the comprehensive spending review period prior to his decision on the future of that office.

Jonathan Djanogly: The cost of implementing Part One of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, which provides for the creation of the Office of Chief Coroner, has previously been placed in the Library. These show estimated costs of:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 (1)10.9 
			 2012-13 6.6 
			 2013-14 6.6 
			 2014-15 6.6 
			 (1) Includes creation of office and cost of shadow running year.

Prisons: Industrial Health and Safety

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of risks to the health and safety of prison officers at work.

Crispin Blunt: Under Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 42/2010, governing governors of prisons are required to ensure that an assessment of the risks to which their staff and others who may be affected by their undertakings are exposed, is carried out and that measures are in place to eliminate or control the risk.
	There is an ongoing requirement on prison managers to complete risk assessments. All risk assessments are subject to review at least annually but more frequently where there has been a significant change in an activity or process that may introduce new risk(s).
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not collect information centrally as to whether risk assessments have been carried out. This will be identified by active monitoring of health and safety performance in prisons and/or via audit.
	An audit of the health and safety performance of each prison is carried out every three years by departmental health and safety advisers. The audit focuses on the procedures in place for implementing the requirements of health and safety legislation, including arrangements for carrying out risk assessments. A report is prepared for governors which includes any deficiencies identified during the audit, the actions required to ensure compliance with legislation and prison service guidance and time scales for implementation.

Prisons: Manpower

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to retain prison officers.

Crispin Blunt: The retention rates for prison officers are given in the following table.
	
		
			 Prison officers 
			 Percentage 
			  Leaving Retention 
			 2006-07 3.7 96.3 
			 2007-08 3.4 96.6 
			 2008-09 2.9 97.1 
			 2009-10 2.4 97.6 
			 2010-11 2.6 97.4 
		
	
	No additional steps are being considered at this stage.

Prisons: Ministers of Religion

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which prison establishments employed an imam in each year since 2007;
	(2)  how many prisons imams have been dismissed since 2007; and for what reasons in each case.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the establishments within the National Offender Management Service that directly employed a Muslim Chaplain (Imam) on 31 March each year since 2007 is contained in the following table. A number of these will cover more than one establishment. Other establishments will use Muslim Chaplains on a fee-paid basis.
	There have been two Muslim Chaplains dismissed from direct employment within the National Offender Management Service since 1 January 2007. The dismissal was recorded as being on the grounds of conduct in one case and for the conveyance of unauthorised item in the other.
	Establishments with directly employed Muslim Chaplains (a single Muslim Chaplain may cover more than one establishment)
	31 March 2011
	Altcourse
	Ashfield
	Aylesbury
	Bedford
	Belmarsh
	Blantyre House
	Blundeston
	Brinsford
	Bristol
	Brixton
	Bronzefield
	Buckley Hall
	Bullingdon
	Bullwood Hall
	Canterbury
	Chelmsford
	Coldingley
	Dartmoor
	Deerbolt
	Dorchester
	Dovegate
	Dover
	Durham
	Elmley
	Erlestoke
	Everthorpe
	Featherstone
	Feltham
	Forest Bank
	Frankland
	Full Sutton
	Gartree
	Glen Parva
	Grendon
	Guys Marsh
	Haslar
	Hewell
	High Down
	Highpoint
	Hindley
	Holme House
	Isis
	Isle of Wight
	Kennet
	Kirkham
	Kirklevington Grange
	Lancaster Farms
	Latchmere House
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Lewes
	Leyhill
	Lindholme
	Littlehey
	Liverpool
	Long Lartin
	Lowdham Grange
	Maidstone
	Manchester
	Moorland
	Norwich
	Nottingham
	Onley
	Parc
	Pentonville
	Peterborough
	Portland
	Preston
	Ranby
	Reading
	Risley
	Rochester
	Rye Hill
	Shrewsbury
	Stocken
	Stoke Heath
	Sudbury
	Swaleside
	Swinfen Hall
	The Mount
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Wayland
	Wealstun
	Wellingborough
	Whitemoor
	Wolds
	Woodhill
	Wormwood Scrubs
	Wymott
	31 March 2010
	Altcourse
	Ashfield
	Ashwell
	Aylesbury
	Bedford
	Belmarsh
	Birmingham
	Blantyre House
	Blundeston
	Brinsford
	Bristol
	Brixton
	Bronzefield
	Buckley Hall
	Bullingdon
	Bullwood Hall
	Canterbury
	Chelmsford
	Coldingley
	Deerbolt
	Dorchester
	Dovegate
	Dover
	Edmunds Hill
	Elmley
	Erlestoke
	Everthorpe
	Featherstone
	Feltham
	Forest Bank
	Frankland
	Full Sutton
	Glen Parva
	Grendon
	Guys Marsh
	Haslar
	Hewell
	High Down
	Highpoint
	Hindley
	Holme House
	Hull
	Huntercombe
	Kennet
	Kirkham
	Kirklevington Grange
	Lancaster Farms
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Lewes
	Leyhill
	Lincoln
	Lindholme
	Littlehey
	Liverpool
	Long Lartin
	Lowdham Grange
	Maidstone
	Manchester
	Moorland
	Norwich
	Onley
	Parc
	Parkhurst
	Pentonville
	Peterborough
	Portland
	Preston
	Ranby
	Reading
	Risley
	Rochester
	Rye Hill
	Shrewsbury
	Stocken
	Stoke Heath
	Sudbury
	Swaleside
	Swinfen Hall
	The Mount
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Wealstun
	Wellingborough
	Whitemoor
	Wolds
	Woodhill
	Wormwood Scrubs
	Wymott
	31 March 2009
	Altcourse
	Ashfield
	Bedford
	Belmarsh
	Birmingham
	Blundeston
	Brinsford
	Brixton
	Bronzefield
	Buckley Hall
	Bullingdon
	Chelmsford
	Coldingley
	Dovegate
	Dover
	Durham
	Edmunds Hill
	Elmley
	Everthorpe
	Featherstone
	Feltham
	Frankland
	Full Sutton
	Gartree
	Glen Parva
	Grendon
	Guys Marsh
	Hewell
	High Down
	Highpoint
	Hindley
	Huntercombe
	Kennet
	Kirkham
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Lincoln
	Lindholme
	Liverpool
	Long Lartin
	Lowdham Grange
	Manchester
	Moorland
	Nottingham
	Onley
	Parc
	Parkhurst
	Pentonville
	Peterborough
	Portland
	Ranby
	Reading
	Risley
	Rochester
	Rye Hill
	Shrewsbury
	Stocken
	Stoke Heath
	Swaleside
	Swinfen Hall
	The Mount
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Wealstun
	Wellingborough
	Whitemoor
	Wolds
	Woodhill
	Wormwood Scrubs
	Wymott
	31 March 2008
	Altcourse
	Ashfield
	Bedford
	Belmarsh
	Birmingham
	Blakenhurst
	Blundeston
	Brixton
	Bronzefield
	Buckley Hall
	Bullingdon
	Chelmsford
	Coldingley
	Dovegate
	Dover
	Durham
	Edmunds Hill
	Everthorpe
	Featherstone
	Feltham
	Frankland
	Full Sutton
	Glen Parva
	Guys Marsh
	High Down
	Highpoint
	Hindley
	Huntercombe
	Kennet
	Kirkham
	Leicester
	Lincoln
	Lindholme
	Liverpool
	Long Lartin
	Lowdham Grange
	Manchester
	Moorland
	Nottingham
	Onley
	Parc
	Parkhurst
	Pentonville
	Peterborough
	Portland
	Ranby
	Reading
	Risley
	Rye Hill
	Sheppey Cluster
	Shrewsbury
	Stoke Heath
	Swinfen Hall
	The Mount
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Wealstun
	Wellingborough
	Whitemoor
	Wolds
	Woodhill
	Wormwood Scrubs
	Wymott
	31 March 2007
	Altcourse
	Ashfield
	Aylesbury
	Bedford
	Belmarsh
	Birmingham
	Blakenhurst
	Brixton
	Bronzefield
	Buckley Hall
	Bullingdon
	Cardiff
	Channings Wood
	Coldingley
	Doncaster
	Dovegate
	Dover
	Elmley
	Featherstone
	Feltham
	Forest Bank
	Frankland
	Full Sutton
	Highpoint
	Hindley
	Leicester
	Lincoln
	Lindholme
	Liverpool
	Lowdham Grange
	Manchester
	Moorland
	Nottingham
	Pentonville
	Peterborough
	Portland
	Reading
	Risley
	Rye Hill
	Standford Hill
	Swaleside
	Swinfen Hall
	The Mount
	The Verne
	Thorn Cross
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Whitemoor
	Wolds
	Woodhill
	Wormwood Scrubs.
	Information has not been received from HMP Doncaster.

Prisons: Ministers of Religion

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been paid in public funds to prison imams in each year since 2007.

Crispin Blunt: I am replying as the Minister for prisons. There is no information centrally available on the payments made to Muslim Chaplains (Imams). To provide this information would require manual data gathering in all public sector prisons and result in disproportionate costs.

Prisons: Retirement

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to change the retirement age for prison officers.

Crispin Blunt: Yes. The National Offender Management Service is removing the default retirement age for prison officers from 1 October 2011, with transitional arrangements from 6 April 2011, in accordance with the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations 2011.

Reparation by Offenders: Charities

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many charitable bodies were the direct beneficiaries of Community Payback in the financial year 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: The identity of organisations which benefit from Community Payback is not recorded by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
	A survey of Community Payback work projects has been undertaken during the month of March since 2006. The voluntary and charitable sector has continued to be the largest single beneficiary of Community Payback since 2006. Full data are not yet available in relation to the survey undertaken in March 2011. However the survey undertaken in March 2010 indicated that some 30% of the hours worked by offenders benefited the voluntary sector.

Super Injunctions

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  when he will bring forward proposals for the membership of the joint committee to consider law and guidance in relation to super-injunctions;
	(2)  whether he proposes that the joint committee to consider law and guidance in relation to super-injunctions will consider the use of parliamentary privilege as part of its work;
	(3)  by what date he plans to propose that the joint committee to consider law and guidance in relation to super-injunctions should report.

Jonathan Djanogly: We are in the process of liaising with the chairs of the Committees with an interest in this area and with the House authorities regarding the terms of reference, membership and timetable for the new Joint Committee. An announcement will be made on these issues soon.

Youth Justice Board: Office of the Chief Coroner

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what costs his Department will incur as a result of its decisions on the future of (a) the Youth Justice Board and (b) the Office of the Chief Coroner.

Crispin Blunt: The information is as follows:
	(a) It is estimated that the Youth Justice Board will make savings of approximately £6 million by 2014-15 from its operating costs as result of the transition of some of its functions into the Ministry of Justice. The transition process itself will incur some costs which will reduce any planned savings in the initial year of transition. The Ministry of Justice and the Youth Justice Board are working together to identify the extent of the costs involved in the transition process.
	(b) As announced in the written ministerial statement on 14 October 2010, changes to the coroners' services will be cost-neutral. Therefore the only expenditure incurred by the Department relates to staff costs for implementing part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. In the period between Royal Assent in November 2009 and 30 March 2011, staffing costs were £387,140. The decision to transfer Chief Coroner functions without fully establishing the office means that the estimated £10.9 million set-up costs, and £6.6 million running costs would no longer be incurred by the public purse.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

AWE Aldermaston

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the specific activity level was of (a) uranium and (b) plutonium in each air filter sample from the high volume air samplers deployed by the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston in (i) February, (ii) March and (iii) April 2011.

Peter Luff: I have been asked to reply.
	The amount of uranium and plutonium in each air filter sample from the high volume air samplers deployed by the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston and other locations from January until 7-8 April 2011 (the latest date for which figures are available) is presented in the following tables. In all cases, these figures are significantly lower than would require notification to the Environment Agency and all variations in off-site and perimeter readings are due to variations in naturally occurring background radiation.
	
		
			 Table 1: High volume air sampler results, January to 7 April 2011; AWE Aldermaston site perimeter 
			 UKAS Location Period (238)  Pu +   ((239+240))  Pu nBqm  (-3)   (air) Total Uranium nBqm  (-3)   (air) Dust Loading on Filter microgrammes/m  (3) 
			 N R001H 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 103 ± 21 3.60 
			 N  4 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 66 ± 25 5.07 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 133 ± 25 6.95 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 145 ± 40 10.45 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 178 ± 28 8.42 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 280 ± 38 12.35 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 369 ± 41 12.35 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 361 ± 53  
			 N R002H 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 114 ± 24 5.13 
		
	
	
		
			 N  4 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 <40 5.71 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 196 ± 31 9.38 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 162 ± 28 11.97 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 181 ± 28 9.89 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 142 ± 33 5.52 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 171 ± 26 6.13 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 264 ± 46  
			 N R004H 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 46 ± 26 1.44 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 <40 0.84 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 <40 16.45 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 <40 0.98 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 <40 1.03 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 51 ± 14 1.92 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 <40 0.98 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 289 ± 46  
			 N R006H 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 115 ± 23 3.52 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 62 ± 48 4.83 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 117 ± 24 6.51 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 129 ± 25 8.94 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 142 ± 45 6.66 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 399 ± 50 11.68 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 346 ± 46 10.09 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 288 ± 50  
			 N R007H 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 174 ± 27 5.63 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 88 ± 27 6.44 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 269 ± 49 11.65 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 427 ± 47 17.09 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 267 ± 40 12.40 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 744 ± 66 24.80 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 1015 ± 73 25.15 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 725 ± 70  
			 N R009H 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 118 ± 23 4.71 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 65 ± 42 6.83 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 173 ± 29 8.82 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 218 ± 36 12.25 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 168 ± 30 8.63 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 228 ± 38 7.72 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 334 ± 56 12.01 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 361 ± 53  
			 N R072H 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 155 ± 23 5.04 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 73 ± 25 6.44 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 272 ± 35 8.60 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 149 ± 27 10.30 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 123 ± 28 8.10 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 349 ± 38 13.11 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 456 ± 55 13.49 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 537 ± 63  
			 Note: Uranium detected in all samples had a (238)U/(234)U ratio = 1, which indicated that the two isotopes were in equilibrium, implying a purely natural origin. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: High volume air sampler results, January to 7 April 2011; off-site locations 
			 UKAS Location Period (238)  Pu +   ((239+240))  Pu nBqm  (-3)   (air) Total Uranium nBqm  (-3)   (air) Dust Loading on Filter microgrammes/m  (3) 
			 N Hannington 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 94 ± 26 1.91 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 67 ± 22 4.33 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 140 ± 40 6.75 
		
	
	
		
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 96 ± 21 7.34 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 72 ± 29 2.82 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 230 ± 41 10.60 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 220 ± 32 4.14 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 327 ± 45  
			 N Thatcham 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 137 ± 26 4.84 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 51 ± 44 5.10 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 167 ± 28 7.25 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 148 ± 28 7.71 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 143 ± 27 7.14 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 271 ± 35 11.86 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 352 ± 43 13.19 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 361 ± 49  
			 N Reading 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 125 ± 24 5.03 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 62 ± 24 5.40 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 417 ± 42 9.00 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 182 ± 30 9.77 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 141 ± 25 7.26 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 354 ± 40 15.19 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 485 ± 49 17.75 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 571 ± 71  
			 N Basingstoke 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 114 ± 23 4.60 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 52 ± 22 5.24 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 144 ± 31 7.36 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 140 ± 33 10.70 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 103 ± 26 6.87 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 269 ± 37 10.91 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 256 ± 39 10.46 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 310 ± 50  
			 N Tadley 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 112 ± 26 3.75 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 73 ± 27 5.72 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 173 ± 28 8.82 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 75 ± 21 3.41 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 153 ± 39 11.14 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 274 ± 43 11.93 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 311 ± 53 12.37 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 360 ± 49  
			 N Silchester 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 140 ± 27 4.03 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 <40 5.39 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 193 ± 29 8.54 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 179 ± 33 12.56 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 107 ± 27 7.40 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 305 ± 44 12.96 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 373 ± 44 13.58 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 709 ± 79  
			 N Mortimer 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 <40 1.53 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 <40 1.76 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 <40 2.49 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 45 ± 16 3.29 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 54 ± 20 3.41 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 324 ± 42 13.34 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 474 ± 59 12.42 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 265 ± 58  
			 N Aldermaston 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 123 ± 21 4.13 
		
	
	
		
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 <40 4.92 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 120 ± 23 6.95 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 157 ± 29 9.67 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 56 ± 22 6.69 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 235 ± 37 10.23 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 413 ± 59 13.44 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 560 ± 77  
			 N AWE Burghfield 16 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 <30 145 ± 34 4.59 
			 N  04 January 2011 to 13 January 2011 <30 139 ± 36 7.48 
			 N  13 January 2011 to 27 January 2011 <30 204 ± 36 9.78 
			 N  27 January 2011 to 10 February 2011 <30 492 ± 48 22.94 
			 N  10 February 2011 to 24 February 2011 <30 494 ± 52 17.72 
			 N  24 February 2011 to 10 March 2011 <30 1626 ± 104 48.39 
			 N  10 March 2011 to 24 March 2011 <30 1540 ± 20117 44.01 
			 N  24 March 2011 to 7 April 2011 <30 957 ± 76  
			 Note: Uranium detected in all samples had a (238)U/(234)U ratio = 1, which indicated that the two isotopes were in equilibrium, implying a purely natural origin. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: High volume air sampler results, January to 8 April 202011; non regulatory—internal locations to AWE(A) 
			 Location Period (238)  Pu +   ((239+240))  Pu nBqm  (-3)   (air) Total Uranium nBqm  (-3)   (air) Dust Loading on Filter microgrammes/m  (3) 
			 R003H WMG HVAS 17 December 10 to 5 January 2011 45 ± 8 58 ± 9 2.01 
			  5 January 2011 to 14 January 2011 <30 <40 1.73 
			  14 January 2011 to 28 January 2011 32 ± 18 87 ± 15 3.82 
			  28 January 2011 to 11 February 2011 <30 <40 2.20 
			  11 February 2011 to 25 February 2011 <30 <40 2.93 
			  25 February 2011 to 11 March 2011 36 ± 9 58 ± 2011 2.73 
			  11 March 2011 to 25 March 2011 58 ± 10 129 ± 17 4.72 
			  25 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 40 ± 10 101 ± 17  
			 R008H A Area 17 December 2010 to 5 January 2011 <30 <40 0.15 
			  5 January 2011 to 14 January 2011 <30 <40 0.29 
			  14 January 2011 to 28 January 2011 <30 <40 0.41 
			  28 January 2011 to 11 February 2011 <30 <40 0.45 
			  11 February 2011 to 25 February 2011 <30 <40 0.22 
			  25 February 2011 to 11 March 2011 <30 <40 0.49 
			  11 March 2011 to 25 March 2011 <30 <40 0.39 
			  25 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 <30 <40  
			 R010H Old WMG Portable HVAS 17 December 2010 to 5 January 2011 <30 <40 0.40 
			  5 January 2011 to 14 January 2011 <30 <40 0.51 
			  14 January 2011 to 28 January 2011 <30 <40 0.62 
			  28 January 2011 to 11 February 2011 <30 <40 0.60 
			  11 February 2011 to 25 February 2011 <30 <40 0.98 
			  25 February 2011 to 11 March 2011 <30 <40 0.68 
			  11 March 2011 to 25 March 2011 <30 <40 0.76 
			  25 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 <30 <40  
			 R012H A12K HVAS 17 December 2010 to 5 January 2011 <30 <40 0.39 
			  5 January 2011 to 14 January 2011 <30 <40 0.96 
			  14 January 2011 to 28 January 2011 <30 <40 0.67 
			  28 January 2011 to 11 February 2011 <30 <40 1.25 
			  11 February 2011 to 25 February 2011 <30 <40 0.43 
			  25 February 2011 to 11 March 2011 <30 47 ± 13 1.87 
			  11 March 2011 to 25 March 2011 <30 <40 0.96 
			  25 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 <30 92 ± 17  
		
	
	
		
			 R014H A12P HVAS 17 December 2010 to 5 January 2011 <30 86 ± 13 2.53 
			  5 January 2011 to 14 January 2011 <30 <40 3.2011 
			  14 January 2011 to 28 January 2011 <30 105 ± 20 4.42 
			  28 January 2011 to 11 February 2011 <30 90 ± 21 6.13 
			  11 February 2011 to 25 February 2011 <30 81 ± 27 4.53 
			  25 February 2011 to 11 March 2011 <30 226 ± 27 8.41 
			  11 March 2011 to 25 March 2011 <30 263 ± 25 8.2011 
			  25 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 449 ± 41 205 ± 27  
			 R037H A37 HVAS 17 December 2010 to 5 January 2011** <30 60 ± 15 3.01 
			  5 January 2011 to 14 January 2011 73 ± 37 <40 1.08 
			  14 January 2011 to 28 January 2011 <30 156 ± 31 5.93 
			  28 January 2011 to 11 February 2011 *520 ± 49 230 ± 40 10.19 
			  11 February 2011 to 25 February 2011 56 ± 18 20117 ± 29 6.54 
			  25 February 2011 to 11 March 2011** 44 ± 16 92 ± 19 7.49 
			  11 March 2011 to 25 March 2011** 85 ± 24 280 ± 40 18.27 
			  25 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 156544 ± 1302 101 ± 17  
			 R045H A45 HVAS 17 December 2010 to 5 January 2011 <30 141 ± 21 3.95 
			  5 January 2011 to 14 January 2011 <30 79 ± 25 4.84 
			  14 January 2011 to 28 January 2011 <30 150 ± 27 6.94 
			  28 January 2011 to 11 February 2011 <30 20119 ± 22 8.35 
			  11 February 2011 to 25 February 2011 <30 101 ± 24 7.05 
			  25 February 2011 to 11 March 2011 <30 232 ± 35 9.06 
			  11 March 2011 to 25 March 2011 <30 343 ± 40 8.76 
			  25 March 2011 to 8 April 2011 <30 331 ± 37  
			 * Denotes, plutonium result exceeded the AWE internal action/advisory limit of 500 nBq/m(-3) Pu. ** Denotes two HVAS results combined. R037H filter was collected weekly for three collections and the values shown in this report are the combined result based on a weighted average. A weekly breakdown of results along with the method used to combine the values can be made available on request. Notes: 1. Uranium detected in the sample collected from A45 (R045H) on 11 February 2011 had a (238)U/(234)U ratio = <1, which indicated that the two isotopes were not in equilibrium. This implies the trace presence of uranium due to AWE’s discharges in addition to uranium already present naturally.  2. Uranium detected in all other samples had a (238)U/(234)U ratio = 1, which indicated that the two isotopes were in equilibrium, implying a purely natural origin.

Carbon Emissions

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of global man-made emissions which are attributable to the UK.

Gregory Barker: The Department recognises the importance of understanding greenhouse gas emissions associated with both production and consumption of goods and services. For the purposes of international climate change negotiations, the only practical basis for reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally is through multi-lateral agreements based on commitments made and actions taken by national governments. This approach underpins the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Department, therefore, publishes annual statistics on greenhouse gas emissions as required under international treaties and obligations. However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published data on greenhouse gas emissions associated with the consumption of goods and services and these can be found at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/environment/green-economy/scptb01-ems/

Climate Change: EU Action

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has made to the European Commission on proposals to designate 5 per cent. of the EU budget to measures to address climate change.

Gregory Barker: While the Government's overriding priority is to reduce the size of the EU budget to reflect austerity measures being undertaken across the EU, we support a simultaneous and significant reprioritisation within the next financial perspective of the EU budget to support the EU's long-term priorities, including energy and climate change.
	No representations have been made on this specific proposal and, indeed, the Government believe that spending on climate change, both in annual EU budgets and in the next financial perspective should be mainstreamed within existing budget headings, because on balance, such mainstreaming across all relevant headings is more effective and offers greater value for money than a dedicated fund.

Energy: Housing

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what definition of affordable warmth his Department uses.

Gregory Barker: Clauses 66 and 67 of the Energy Bill include provisions to set energy suppliers a 'home heating-cost reduction obligation' within the Energy Company Obligation. This is defined within the clauses as
	‘a target for the promotion of measures for reducing the cost to individuals of heating their homes'
	and can be summarised as an 'affordable warmth' obligation. It is envisaged that support under this obligation would be targeted at those lower income and vulnerable households who are identified as needing support.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has considered the merits of asking the Committee on Climate Change to examine outsourced emissions and consumption-based accounting of greenhouse gas emissions.

Gregory Barker: The work programme for the Committee on Climate Change is planned and managed through an annual business planning process agreed between the Government, devolved Administrations and the Committee on Climate Change. The Government have no immediate plans to ask the CCC to undertake work on outsourced emissions.
	We do, however, recognise the importance of the impact on emissions of the whole life cycle of the products we consume, and the increasingly global nature of supply chains means that there is a more and more complex picture of where in the life history of a product the emissions actually arise. The Government's Green Economy Programme is working to identify and help reduce the lifecycle carbon and other environmental impacts that are associated with UK consumption, wherever in the world those impacts occur.

Nuclear Power: Manpower

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of nuclear engineers required to deliver the UK's nuclear power station replacement programme.

Charles Hendry: Last year the Government commissioned Cogent, the Sector Skills Council for Nuclear, to produce a report looking at the impact of industry's plans to develop new build nuclear on the nuclear workforce. This report, “Next Generation: Skills for New Build Nuclear”, was published in March 2010.
	This published report does not provide a specific estimate for nuclear engineers from the total workforce required, under an indicative scenario of 16GW of nuclear new build, but does identify the requirements for the different engineering disciplines where there are perceived gaps and shortages and makes recommendations to address possible shortfalls. Progress on these recommendations is monitored by the Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance, a grouping of skills bodies that operate in the nuclear sector and Government.
	The estimated requirements per reactor unit where there are perceived gaps and shortages include 140 design engineers at peak during the design and planning stage, 50 design engineers along with 40 manufacturing engineers and 20 non-destructive testing engineers at peak for equipment manufacture and 30 design engineers at peak during commissioning, operation and maintenance. A further report in this Labour Market research series is planned for publication by the end of this year which will update the previous information and provide further granularity.
	Note:
	A nuclear engineer is an engineer within the wide range of engineering disciplines, e.g. electrical, mechanical, civil, who in the context of this response works within the design, manufacturing and construction sectors of the nuclear industry.

Voltage Optimisation

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of voltage optimisation technology in reducing energy use; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Voltage optimisation can deliver significant energy savings when properly matched to the appropriate types of load, for example commercial office environments where voltage optimisation can be combined with spike protection and phase-balancing and/or where the local grid voltage is high. It is generally less suited to industrial processes.
	Two of the projects under Ofgem's Low Carbon Networks Fund are using new voltage control technology which will enable better network voltage control, system harmonics and allow increased network utilisation.

Wind Power

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the (a) number and (b) total generating capacity of wind turbines is in each parliamentary constituency that (i) have been installed and (ii) are in receipt of planning permission.

Charles Hendry: The following annex provides data on a regional basis for onshore wind turbines in the UK that have been installed or are in receipt of planning permission, and their total generating capacity(1).
	Data are not held on a parliamentary constituency basis. Details of the region and country—and in some cases the district and/or county—for each site are given in the Renewable Energy Planning Database (REPD) monthly extracts within the RESTATS database at:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
	National Statistics on all operational wind capacity (onshore and offshore) by UK country and English region, can be found in DECCs “Renewable electricity in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England” in September 2010's Energy Trends, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/trends/articles_issue/articlesissue.aspx
	This will be updated for 2010 in September 2011.
	(1) These data exclude many small-scale, micro-generation sites, typically of less than 50 kW installed capacity.
	Annex
	
		
			 Onshore wind turbine numbers and generating capacity by region 
			 Region Status Total number of turbines Total generating capacity (MW) 
			 Scotland Operational 1,535 2,560.22 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 1,178 3,058.23 
			     
			 Wales Operational 214 383.64 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 101 232.74 
			     
			 Northern Ireland Operational 237 336.16 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 200 460.32 
			     
			 England    
			 East Midlands Operational 85 122.95 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 66 121.81 
			     
			 Eastern Operational 59 134.93 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 78 168.6 
			     
			 London Operational 5 1.81 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 11 13.05 
			     
			 North East Operational 106 156.07 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 143 350.78 
			     
			 North West Operational 185 139.47 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 92 186.78 
			     
			 South East Operational 41 82.36 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 12 22.28 
			     
			 South West Operational 104 65.0 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 104 228.5 
			     
			 West Midlands Operational 3 1.22 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 12 18.05 
			     
			 Yorkshire and Humber Operational 108 121.24 
			  Under construction or consented awaiting construction 141 327.18